Don't Sell Yourself Short: Many Skills Are Transferable

When you’re searching for a new position, intimidating job descriptions may convince you that your work experience doesn’t hold up to industry standards. Don’t underestimate yourself. Experience is valuable, but many employers are equally concerned about your transferable skills and aptitude for professional growth. The soft skills you build from managing teams, interacting with clients and developing ideas transcend occupational differences and make you an asset to prospective employers.

What Are Transferable Skills?

Transferable skills are universally beneficial abilities that contribute to productivity and success, regardless of your industry or job duties. In most cases, you start developing these skills long before you ever think about having a career, and you spend a lifetime improving your proficiency. You may overlook these seemingly hidden superpowers because you think of them collectively as your work ethic. Whether you played on a sports team, helped out at the family yard sale or learned to share toys with the neighbors, you gained transferable skills in early childhood that influenced your performance standards for school, extracurricular activities and jobs.

Common examples of transferable skills include leadership, communication, teamwork, presentation and analysis. Hard skills, such as software certifications, validate your ability to complete a specific task, while transferable skills measure your professional character, creative mindset and ability to function as an efficient, collaborative team member. Some transferable skills are talent- and industry-specific in nature, but have broad applications, such as management, math, writing, sales or technology innovation skills.

Identifying these skills in yourself can help you write more persuasive resumes and make a compelling case for your qualifications even when your work experience initially seems irrelevant. For example, the conflict-resolution skills you gained in a customer support position may help you transition to a human resource role that involves mediating employee complaints.

Market Your Transferable Skills

In a few words, resumes convey your most applicable hard skills, but hiring managers use the interview process to test how well you demonstrate transferable skills within a brief timespan. Experienced candidates who appear highly qualified on paper may lack the proactive self-discipline required for a project management role or the analytical mind required for research and business roles.

Although transferable skills are more conceptual than hard skills, you can use conversational storytelling and performance results as evidence of the qualities you possess. Before applying or interviewing, evaluate the duties and qualities outlined in the job post, and if you’re new to the industry, use professional associations or networking events to learn which skills you need. Don’t give interviewers a chance to doubt your qualifications, especially when changing or starting a career. Be prepared to share relevant, engaging experiences that explain your potential value to the company.

All your transferable skills can’t fit on a one-page resume, so use creative opportunities to mention that you love writing blogs about tech start-ups or spend your spare time organizing a photography group. Above all, hiring managers want to know their employees are engaged and progress-driven, and expanding your transferable skills through multiple channels shows employers you’re always striving to learn more.

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