Transferable Skills: How It Can Help You in the Future
# Job Tips

Transferable Skills: How It Can Help You in the Future

post by Lyanne

by Lyanne

Oct 21, 2020
at 9:04 AM

You've had enough of your current job and current career. It's time for a change. But what about all that valuable experience you've been collecting while working at your job and previous jobs? Do you really have to throw it all away and start from scratch? No, you don't. That's where transferable skills come in.

 

Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are the skills you've accumulated through several jobs, volunteer work, hobbies, sports, or other life experiences that can be used in your next position or new career. Other than being useful to career changers, transferable skills are also crucial to those who are facing a layoff, recent graduates, and to those re-entering the workforce after an extended absence.

 

Identifying Your Transferable Skills

The job titles you've held doesn't tell a lot about what you actually do. Formal job descriptions are often very different from reality. That is why it's important to examine each position you've held to discover what skills you actually used to do that job. If you are re-entering the workforce or entering it for the first time, look at your life experiences to get this information. Use the worksheet below to help you organise and rate your skills.

man laptop

Find Out How You Can Use Your Transferable Skills

Self-assessments are essential in helping career changers find suitable careers. It is about finding out what careers best utilise your skills. To learn about various occupations and what skills are required for each, you can do the following:

  • Gather occupational information.
  • Read job descriptions in the "help wanted"ads.
  • Contact professional associations.

 

Instructions for Completing the Worksheet

Complete a separate worksheet for each job or activity.

In the Tasks column, list every function of your job.

  • Then in the Skills column, list the skill you use or used to complete the corresponding task. Do not limit yourself to the ones listed below.

  • In the Skill Level column rate, yourself according to your level of competency. 
    (1=highly skilled; 2=moderately skilled; 3=needs improvement)

  • Place a check next to those skills which you enjoy using.

  • After you have completed all worksheets, write a list of those skills which you both enjoy using and in which you are highly skilled [1].

  • Then list those skills you both enjoy using and in which you are moderately skilled [2].

  • You can also keep a separate list of those skills in which you need improvement [3] but enjoy using. Put that list aside.

    table


    Now you have identified your transferable skills. You know where you can use them. All you have to do now is to convince potential employers. Merely presenting your job titles on your resume is not enough since those titles track your old career path.

    You can write an objective that tells which skills apply to the position you are seeking. You can also write a skills-based resume: either a functional or combination resume.

    • Functional resume describes each of your skills. 
    • Combination resume combines a functional resume with a chronological resume, listing your work experience in addition to your skills.

    Here are some examples of transferable skills. Use this as a guide to help you complete the worksheet.

    • Plan and arrange events and activities
    • Delegate responsibility
    • Motivate others
    • Attend to visual detail
    • Multi-task
    • Present written material
    • Assess and evaluate my own work
    • Manage time
    • Repair equipment or machinery
    • Keep records
    • Handle complaints
    • Coordinate fundraising activities
    • Coach
    • Assess and evaluate others' work
    • Deal with obstacles and crises
    • Present material orally
    • Research
    • Use sign language
    • Utilise computer software (specify programs)
    • Train or teach others
    • Build or construct
    • Design buildings, furniture, etc.
    • Manage finances
    • Speak a foreign language (specify language)
    • Identify and manage ethical issues