Knowing your skills is critical when you’re applying for any job. Both your resume and your interview will require you to discuss your abilities. Many skills can transfer from one type of work experience to another, completely different work experience. We call these transferable skills.
Transferable skills are abilities you’ve learned (processes, techniques, tools, etc.) or developed through previous experience. They can be useful and needed in your next position, even when they don’t initially seem relevant. (For example, your keen attention to detail from your programming job will serve you well when coding medical charts or monitoring a children’s classroom!)
Transferable skills may come from experiences other than jobs, such as class activities, community service, personal projects, and participation in clubs or associations. Don’t limit your knowledge and skillsets to only those from past work experiences.
Here’s the best-kept secret: All job skills are transferable. Think about the specific tasks you’ve accomplished and skills you’ve gained through each job, volunteering, internships, clubs, class time, sports, and projects. Here are a few examples of transferable skills:
- Analyzing information
- Attentive listening
- Giving advice
- Conducting online research
- Delegating responsibility
- Being on-time/punctual
- Prioritizing personal growth
- Respecting individuality
- Developing goals
- Networking
- Conveying positivity
- Thinking critically
- Motivating others
- Reporting information
How To Identify Transferable Skills for Your Resume or Interview
1. List *all* your experiences:
Start by thinking of every experience you’ve had—from your weekends playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends, to your most recent summer job selling fireworks. Did you pet-sit for a few months? Do you serve as part of the leadership team for SGA? On the weekends, do you volunteer at the SPCA? All these count as experiences!
2. Next, write a list of activities you completed at each experience:
Were you responsible for renting a gaming space for D&D night every week? Did you oversee an event with your SGA leadership team? Have you greeted visitors at the SPCA while working at the front desk? Write these down! Try to think of at least five activities for each experience, but don’t limit yourself.
3. Lastly, look at your list of activities and then identify the transferable skills from each:
It’s easiest to do this if you know what job you plan to apply for because you can identify relevant skills listed by the employer. For example, your familiarity with reserving a room (for your D&D gaming nights with friends) could be useful for an administrative job, where arranging meeting spaces and ensuring accommodation is common.
Study the following examples of transferable skills. You can copy this format and use it to help you identify your skill capability levels. When you finish, you can compare your skills with those required in the jobs that interest you. This will enable you to understand how well you qualify for a position. Also, you will know what additional training or experience you may need.
Transferable Skills – Example 1
Experience: Parent School Volunteer
Activities:
- Managed Classroom of 20 – 25 children
- Provided tutoring on an individual basis
- Helped organize classroom activities and field trips
- Supervised children during lunch and on playground
- Planned school fundraising event raising $15,000
Transferable Skills:
- Presentation skills
- Ability to provide detailed instructions
- Management skills
- Event planning
Transferable Skills – Example 2
Experience: Student Government Involvement
Activities:
- Served as Marketing and Recruitment Chairperson
- Organized events (car wash, blood drive, donation drives, etc.)
- Recruited ten new student participants
- Created flyers and handouts
Transferable Skills:
- Leadership skills
- Ability to organize large events with attention to detail
- Persuasive recruiting skills
- Knowledge of and experience using graphic design programs (Photoshop, MS Publisher) and freehand techniques
- Creativity
Transferable Skills – Example 3
Experience: Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store
Activities:
- Received and maintained donations
- Organized showroom and stock
- Operated cash register
- Served as lead volunteer and assisted with staff needs
Transferable Skills:
- Accurate inventory control
- Attention to detail
- Ensured safe and pleasant environment for patrons and co-workers
- Trustworthy, responsible, and accurate when handling cash transactions
- Supervisory skills and leadership abilities
How to Write/Talk About Your Transferable Skills
Giving examples of your skills is critical in “selling them,” both on your resume and when discussing them in an interview.
Imagine being asked, “Can you give me an example of your leadership/communication/problem-solving skills?” How would you answer?
You would probably tell a short story detailing a time you used that skill and the positive outcome.
If you’re talking about your skills in an interview, you can use the S.T.A.R. method (which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result) to help you give strong examples of your skills. Spend one sentence per letter fleshing out your answer.
For example, if you have great customer service skills, you might tell a story like this:
- Situation: One day, when I was working as a waiter at a restaurant, we were short-staffed. As a result, a family of ten people had to wait over an hour for their meal.
- Task: I knew the family would be frustrated by the wait and had to ensure they left satisfied.
- Action: I asked my direct supervisor if we could offer the family free desserts to compensate for the wait time.
- Result: My supervisor agreed to offer the family a free dessert per person, and the family left a positive review on the restaurant’s website, specifically mentioning my name.
On your resume, this same story might be written like this:
- Ensured customers left satisfied with their experience, even during high-volume, fast-paced times, resulting in 15 positive Google Reviews.
- Acted as customer service advocate, ensuring the de-escalation of tense situations while prioritizing customer needs.
- Personally served a large family of 10 during high-volume, low-staff service hours; advocated for customers’ needs to manager by providing solutions to mitigate slow service. Family left satisfied with their service, leaving a positive review on Google that resulted in a promotion.
Ready to Advocate for Your Transferable Skills?
Career Services is here to assist! Whether you have questions about your career path, job hunting, or interview preparation, you can contact your campus’ Career Services for personalized assistance.
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