When it comes to looking for a new job or making a career change, there can be a flood of questions and anxieties that hit you all at once.
What is it that I want to do?
Where do I start first?
Is my resume ready for today’s job market?
The best piece of advice that we can give at this point is, don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed. All you need is a game plan and for that, we’ve got you covered. Our eBook Apply Yourself: A Guide To Finding Meaningful Work, outlines a game plan to help you identify the best job for you and how to get it. (>>The worksheets are my favorite part.>>)
In one of the chapters, Craft Beverage Jobs founder, Cindy Molchany outlines the way to identify your transferable skills. But first, let’s nail down exactly what transferable skills are:
A transferable skill is any asset that you have acquired either from personal experience, previous employment, education, or hobbies that can help you transition into and excel in a new job. It’s important to inventory these skills so that potential employers can quickly see you are great candidate for their business. Transferable skills are a key component to your resume and CV, and listing them properly can make all the difference in securing a new job.
Identifying Transferable Skills
One of the reasons transferable skills may be difficult to list is because they can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In addition, those skills may be applicable in different ways. To help us get started, Cindy has done our homework for us and organized our transferable skills into four different categories, as follows:
- Basic Transferable Skills
- Communication & Interpersonal Skills
- Data / Research / Planning Skills
- Management / Leadership Skills
What Are Basic Transferable Skills?
Basic transferable skills are the things the employers are expecting to find with any resume or CV. For example:
- Attention to Detail
- Punctuality
- Organized
- Meets goals and deadlines
- Manages time well
If they are expected, why list them? It’s important to list these basic skills to give you the opportunity to elaborate on how you excel at them. Share examples of when your attention to detail made a difference for the company; or how your ability to meet deadlines secured an important contract.
What Are Communication & Interpersonal Skills?
Unless one works as a solo scientist in Antarctica or in some other role with little to not contact or correspondence with others, having sufficient communication and interpersonal skills is a vital aspect of being hirable.
While many communication skills are basic, such as speaking and writing skills, some are more specialized and may not be required with every job offer. However, these specialized skills show employers the great value you bring to the company. When the need for these skills present themselves within the business, you will be ready to take the lead. Several advanced skills to list would be as follows:
- Negotiating contracts
- Interviewing & Counseling
- Copywriting & Editing
- Motivational skills
What Are Data, Research, and Planning Skills?
Of all the transferable skills you will list, these will represent your creativity in the workplace. How well you create solutions and share productive ideas, make up this list of skills. For example, are you able to create ideas and offer alternative solutions? When you see a problem, can you present a solution and manage the resources to implement that solution?
Other skills in this category may not be as creative but are just as important, such as the following:
- Forecasting
- Budgeting
- Auditing
- Inventory
What Are Management & Leadership Skills?
Never been in a management or leadership role before? Cindy offers this advice,
Even if you haven’t held a management position in the past, you may still possess certain leadership skills that are transferable into a new career. And employers love to discover potential employees who have these skills.
In hand with the skill of identifying problems, is the ability to solve them. Possessing the ability to manage problems and lead a team in resolving them, shows leadership capabilities. Be prepared to share any experience where you were able to;
- Be decisive
- Delegate well
- Train and improve the skills of others
- Supervise a project
Using these 4 categories to determine and organize your transferable skills will help showcase YOU as the best candidate for the job. For more helpful tips and worksheets, download our free 5-day email course, Apply & Get Noticed. This series of emails comes right to your inbox, outlining things like, how to craft the perfect cover letter and resume. Plus, it will teach you valuable interview strategies to give you the best chance at landing the job you want. Sign up is easy, and it’s FREE!