A transferable skill can be a hard skill that is easy to quantify (such as your knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite), or a soft skill that is not so easy to quantify (such as your excellent time management). Transferable skills can fall under a number of different categories such as clerical, interpersonal, or managerial, and can be developed over time at a previous job, in school, or maybe even while doing volunteer work.
After living through an international shake up like the one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s understandable why many people globally might be considering a career change. Whether it’s because you’ve discovered a new passion or your priorities have changed, the job you had pre-covid might not be something you’re ready to return to when the pandemic is finally over. Let’s talk about transferable skills, and how they can help both a job seeker and a prospective employer to find the right fit.
What are Transferable Skills?
How to Make Your Transferrable Skills Work for YOU
Transferable skills are critical to mention when applying to a new position, especially if the position is within a different field than the one you are currently working in. It is important to mention one or two of your transferable skills in your resume objective and cover letter (be sure to mention transferable skills that directly relate to the job posting you’re applying to). For example, if you used to work in the construction industry and are now making the jump into sales, you should mention that you have proven communication and time management skills, as both are equally valuable in each industry. It is also valuable to find a way to point out specific examples of when you have used transferable skills in the Employment History section of your resume. Highlighting your transferable skills and briefly mentioning the ways in which you have successfully applied them in your previous positions is sure to make you stand out to a prospective employer.
Want to Increase Your Pool of Prospective Candidates? Consider the Value of Transferable Skills!
As a prospective employer, it is equally as important to look out for transferable skills on your candidates’ resumes. You could be passing up potentially great employees because they don’t have experience in the specific field you are working in. Their transferable skills could make them just as qualified, but in a different way. Referring back to the person switching from the construction to sales industry; the person might not have direct sales experience, but what they likely do have is client management and retention skills. For example, if that person was a project manager in construction, they must have some of the skills that are also important as a salesperson: interpersonal, communication, time management, and technological skills, just to name a few. Passing up on a candidate just because they haven’t worked in your particular field could be a big mistake – that person could be the diamond in the rough that you’ve been searching for.
Overall, transferable skills are valuable and not to be overlooked by both employers and job seekers. As a job seeker, the key take away should be the value in highlighting any transferable skills that you’ve acquired throughout your career whenever possible to improve the chances of getting your dream job. As an employer, the lesson here is that the value of transferable skills shouldn’t be underestimated when considering someone’s candidacy. It’s important to look at all the variables of someone’s experience, not just the titles they have held over the years. You never know, your next great Employee might be found by expanding your parameters to include a few key transferrable skills from an area you may not have looked at before. Sometimes the right fit is found in the most unexpected places!
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