Are transferable skills important in a job search?
Do you ever not apply to a job because you don’t always cover the ‘must-have’ skills? A look into your past experiences may give you a reason to still apply!
Your past experiences may reveal you possess more of the sought-after transferable skills than you originally thought. Transferable skills can help you land a new job, no matter how ‘unmatched’ your skill set might appear to be.
Taking your existing transferable skills and applying them to a new opportunity or role demonstrates to your employer that you have adaptable and versatile qualities. The world of work is always changing, but these transferable skills might just help you transition from one role to another.
There are two types of transferable skills; hard and soft skills. Hard skills are teachable and straightforward to quantify, whereas soft skills are harder to quantify, are not technical and relate more to how you work.
Examples of hard skills | Examples of soft skills |
Accountancy | Communication |
Sales | Time management |
Speaking a foreign language | Teamwork |
Typing speed | Problem-solving |
Coding ability | Leadership |
Why do employers value transferable skills?
Employers seek transferable skills in their staff because these employees tend to have the tools to help them go beyond their job description. Employees with transferable skills will add diversity to the workforce, which has been proven to boost innovation and enhance productivity and problem solving within a team. Not only this, but it will create an environment in which employees can grow and thrive. This will likely mean employees will stick around with a company for a longer period of time – which saves employers hiring and business costs.
Employees who possess multiple transferable skills tend to be more motivated, focused and eager to apply their current knowledge and experiences to new and exciting initiatives. Employers who ignore transferable skills and stick to job ‘must-haves’ tend to limit their talent pool.
Listing transferable skills on your CV
Don’t forget to list your transferable skills on your CV! This will help you market yourself and it will help show employers at a glance what you can bring to the table. Your transferable skills should be near the top of your CV, underneath the summary section.
Examples of transferable skills you could list:
| Problem-solving | Critical thinking |
| Analytical reasoning | Adaptability |
| Leadership | Communication |
| Listening | Teamwork |
| Writing | Attention to detail |
| Management | Project management |
| Relationship building | Creativity |
| Time management |
No matter where you end up in your career, or which career path you choose to take, the transferable skills you develop throughout past experiences will always be there. Whether it be previous work, volunteering, internships, freelance jobs and many more. Helping you to adapt, change and grow professionally.
Why not get in touch with an expert consultant to see where your skills take you?