There are many transferable skills that employers want to see in a candidate, to help them make the best recruitment decisions. You can learn how to work in a specific role, but transferable skills are the foundation of becoming great at what you do. These skills apply to many different job types, so you don’t need to worry about being stuck on one career path. In fact, if you’re looking to change careers, you can use your transferable skills to your best advantage.
What are Transferable Skills?
Transferable skills are skills and abilities you can use across many jobs and industries. Transferable skills are not job-specific. They can be learned from life, education and hobbies (not just work). This is very useful if you want to change jobs but still have a skill set that’s especially useful for employers. For example, communication skills and organisational abilities are transferable skills. You can learn them through work experience but also through life experiences, such as organising a party or leading a project.
Transferable Skills Examples
Transferable skills are especially useful when you can harness them to help you succeed in your career. In particular, employers are often looking for candidates that have a well-rounded skill set that compliments the specific technical skills needed to do a job well.
Here we look at 10 transferable skills examples that employers often want to see on your CV.
1. Communication Skills
Communication skills are important in any job. But, they’re especially vital in an environment where you’re constantly collaborating with others.
Your ability to communicate effectively will help your team understand what needs doing. With well-developed communication skills, you’ll be able to share ideas, solve problems and resolve conflicts if they arise.
Having good communication skills means being able to convey information effectively, whether it’s through speaking, writing, or even the way you use body language. This can include listening to what others say, speaking up when you have an opinion, and being able to give constructive feedback without being negative or critical.
2. Teamwork
Teamwork and the ability to collaborate with others are two of the most sought-after transferable skills that employers look for when hiring new employees.
Teamwork is important for any job. With good team working skills, you’ll be able to complete projects more efficiently (and to a better standard) if you work together as a team. Collaboration skills also help with communication, planning, problem-solving, leadership and conflict resolution. All these skills can help your workplace run smoothly and improve productivity.
If you’re struggling to evidence teamwork as a transferable skill on your CV, think about the hobbies and interests you have outside of work. Teamwork is developed in many ways, but especially through team-building events or sports. Or, even through individual activities, but with a larger group of people.
3. Critical Thinking
To solve problems, you need to be able to think critically. Critical thinking is the ability to analyse information so you can form judgments. In other words, it’s knowing how to see things from different angles. This can be helpful when you’re working as part of a team, because most of the time, your teammates are going to have a different outlook on a task or project.
Additionally, critical thinking involves using a variety of approaches to solving problems. It requires flexibility and creativity with problem-solving techniques instead of sticking with one method that might not work every time.
Being able to think critically is an incredibly valuable transferable skill.
4. Leadership
Leadership is an important skill for many jobs because leaders have the power to make decisions on behalf of their teams. Leaders have the responsibility for setting goals and creating plans for reaching those goals. They also need to motivate others toward achieving goals by encouraging and rewarding them when they do well. Employers, therefore, look for candidates who can show leadership skills before hiring them in roles where their decisions can impact other people and the wider business.
Being a good leader means:
You’re able to delegate tasks, giving others the freedom to complete them in their own way.
· You can listen to others and allow them to share their ideas.
· You inspire confidence in those around you by trusting others with responsibilities.
5. Management Skills
Management skills are critical to running any organisation. Management in the workplace can include:
· Delegating tasks
· Ensuring projects are on-time and within budget
· Leading team members through periods of transition and prioritising the workload.
Many employers look for candidates with good people management skills because being able to manage and work well with others creates a positive work culture.
6. Organisational Skills
Organisational skills are a broad term that refers to the ability to plan, manage and control personal tasks and time. These skills are critical to success in the workplace, no matter what industry you choose.
They’re also one of the most valuable transferable skills that employers look for in candidates. If you have good organisational skills, it means you can do things like:
· Keep track of projects, deadlines and tasks
· Maintain your own schedule
· Prioritise your workload
· Delegate work, based on the availability of resources (including yourself); and,
· Determine when it’s appropriate for you or someone else to take ownership over a particular task or project
7. Flexibility
Flexibility and adaptability are transferable skills that will help you handle any situation. Often, you’ll need to be able to adjust your approach to your projects or workload, based on circumstances beyond your control. Employers value candidates who can do this. They want to know that you’re flexible and open-minded.
Flexibility also sometimes means having a positive attitude, even in stressful situations. No matter what happens at work or in your personal life, it’s important for employees to remain positive because it shows confidence and self-awareness. This transferable skill is especially important if the job involves working with people from different backgrounds or cultures. If you’re not flexible enough to have an open mind about others’ differences, it makes it difficult to work with people on daily basis.
8. Time Management
Time management is the process of monitoring and controlling how you use your time. You can demonstrate time management skills by:
· Prioritising tasks
· Scheduling your time
· Setting deadlines
· Breaking down large tasks into smaller parts; and,
· Using a timer to keep yourself on track.
Time management skills are particularly important if you work in a deadline-driven environment. For example, if you need to turn projects around quickly, or if you have customers relying on you to deliver a product or service on time.
9. People Skills
People skills are vital to your career success. Unless you work completely alone, you’ll typically need people skills in almost any work environment.
Employers want people who’ll bring their personality into the workplace and build relationships with their colleagues and customers. People skills are important for working as part of a team, but also within any customer-facing role. For example, if you’re looking for work in sales or customer services, you’ll need exceptional people skills to succeed.
10. Attention to Detail
Accuracy is one of the most important transferable skills that employers look for in new employees. Accuracy means that you’re thorough and careful about your work and don’t make mistakes on a regular basis, which is an essential skill for any job. It also means that when you do make a mistake, you recognise it and take steps to correct it as soon as possible.
When hiring managers refer to accuracy, they often mean attention to detail. This means that you have the ability to check over your work and catch errors before it’s too late. This is especially critical when working on projects with many people or relying on data from outside sources. Unfortunately for employers though, many people lack this important trait because they tend not to be mindful of their actions. Instead, most people focus on larger tasks like attending meetings or writing reports, rather than double-checking things like spelling errors before sending them out into the world!
Now that you know what transferable skills employers are looking for, it’s time to start focusing on them. Whether you’re fresh out of education or transitioning into a new role, having a great transferable skillset can make all the difference. By honing in on these skills and using them in your CV, you’ll be able to prove how they relate back to the job you’re going for – and get yourself that dream role!