Transferable skills are critically important when thinking about making a career transition. However, through our own research, we know that many mature-aged workers, just do not understand what their transferable skills are. Transferable skills are ‘portable’ skills that are relevant across a broad range of fields. As well as being important in making job transitions, they are also seen as more critical to jobs of the future. A career transition is different to a job change. The former generally applies to moving into a new field or industry where transferable skills maybe be especially important to highlight, while a job change is when you are applying the same skills in the same industry but with a new employer.
In a Google search, an enormous number of transferable skills can be found (some of which are included below from a range of websites) but the trick is not only knowing what they are, but also how specific aspects of a particular skill should be accentuated when you are applying for, or interviewing for, a job. Some of the key skills that are often highlighted by recruitment companies, career specialists and business consulting firms like PwC are: communication, problem solving/critical thinking, team work/collaboration, creativity, time management, leadership, people management, presentation, strategy development, data analysis, negotiation, service orientation, judgement and decision making and technical skills e.g. experience using the suite of Microsoft products.
When applying for a position, people will often highlight their communication ability, a highly desirable transferable skill. While identifying this skill is a great start, it is necessary to understand what kind of communication skill it’s best to focus on, depending on the job you are applying for. For example, if you want to move into a teaching role, you need to elaborate different aspects of your communication skills than if you were to move into a financial role.
Communication skills encompass verbal and written skills but also interpersonal skills like emotional intelligence, empathy, listening, open-mindedness, confidence, ability to give and receive feedback and being able to ask the right questions. From the written perspective it may include attention to detail, data analysis and the ability to synthesise information in a clear and concise way. In an application for a teaching job the emphasis might need to be on empathy, listening and clarity skills while in a finance role it may be your ability to synthesize complex information in an accessible way.
Similarly, leadership is complex and encompasses many of the transferable skills mentioned above. At its most basic it encapsulates the ability to lead, manage and motivate a team. However, leadership also requires good communication and interpersonal skills, creativity, critical thinking, judgement and decision making and also technical skills.
As more attention is given to the future of work and the skills necessary to succeed, new transferable skills are emerging such as cultural intelligence, the ability to recognise and adapt to cultural difference.
Taking the time to think about what your transferable skills are and how they help you do your job better, then demonstrating that in your application and job interview might make the difference between getting an interview or not, especially if you are trying to make a career transition.