Transferable skills are a building block for your career. Having skills and abilities that can be utilized in different fields, or even in your social and personal life, is a huge plus. Since these types of skills can be carried with you to different industries, they are often also referred to as portable skills. When it comes time to start that job hunt or switch career paths, transferable skills will be a hit.

What skills are transferable skills? 

It is highly likely that you already possess transferable skills without even realizing it. Employers are always looking for candidates with these basic, yet extremely important skills.

One of the most important portable skills that employers look for is communication. This can include an array of sub-skills such as public speaking, written communication, Presentation, Negotiating, Persuading, and Interpersonal communication. Depending on the field, some of these types of communication may be more desirable than others. Even though this may be the case, they are still all transferable skills that can be taught in one industry and carried over to another.

Analytical skills are another important transferable skill. Why do businesses exist? To solve problems! While problem-solving is a small portion of analytical skills, this explains why they are the most valued skill by employers. Candidates who think analytically and have great problem-solving skills will be a huge asset in helping a business thrive. Data mining, diagnostics, forecasting, organization, research, troubleshooting, and theorizing all fall under the category of analytical skills. Add these to your resume, and you will be sure to get noticed!

Another desirable set of skills are management skills. And no, you don’t need to be a manager to achieve these! This set of transferable skills covers a broad range. People and project management, time management, risk management, budgeting, logistics, and risk management are all important to employers.

The list of portable or transferable skills goes on and on. While they are all important and can be utilized in everyday life, some may be more desirable than others when adding them to your resume. This depends on what industry you are coming from and what your new goals are.

How to develop your transferable skills:

Since transferable skills are portable from one career to another, they are typically learned in prior workplaces. They don’t require specific education, just experience.

There are different ways to develop different transferable skills. Trying to gain leadership skills can be done by asking for a little more responsibility from your boss or maybe volunteering to take on an extra project. Taking initiative can prove that you have those leadership skills needed to excel.

Trying to develop problem-solving skills? Don’t keep quiet! If your department has an issue, think about possible solutions and speak up about them. This will prove your ability to be analytical and also touch on your communication skills at the same time.

Benefits of having these skills:

As previously mentioned, some of these portable skills are more desirable than others if you are trying to enter a certain field. Applying for a job in education may mean putting public speaking, writing, and leadership on your resume since these are desirable transferable skills for the fields.

On the other hand, if you are trying to land a career in an IT department or with a computer business, technical skills and teamwork might be a good idea to add to your resume.

With the right transferable skills, it is possible to not only switch careers but also land the role of your dreams. Companies are always on the lookout for these portable skills that will help to enhance any workplace!

 

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