Have you looked through a job application and your initial thoughts are that you haven’t got any required or essential skills necessary for the job? Don’t panic just yet, we have the scoop to calm your career nerves.
So many of us want a change of roles or jobs and we feel the current skills we have will not fit. On the contrary, that isn’t entirely true.
What are Transferable Skills?
Transferable skills are talents and abilities you can take from job to job or career to career. They are skills you have acquired and can implement in any future career settings.
They are categorized of more soft skills than technical skills.
How are they acquired?
Transferable skills are acquired through volunteering, internship opportunities, apprenticeship, training (formal and informal), hobbies and any job, task or role you were or still involved in including parenting.
The key thing to note is that you have every opportunity to develop your skills and talents and learn new ones at any given opportunity.
What set of skills are transferable?
Interpersonal and People skills
Simply put, it is a skill that shows how well you relate with others. Top tip is how you communicate (written and verbal), empathy for others, conflict resolution and willingness to get along with others (Team Player), to ensure a common goal.
Organisational Skills
This set of skills require the ability to use your energy, resources and time in an efficient and effective way. Top tip is how you are able to follow through, manage your time, prioritize your work, planning and of course, meeting deadlines.
Leadership Skills
The ability to influence a set of people to achieve a goal or move to a particular direction is essential as a leader. This set of soft skills are developed over time. Top tips are how you can effectively communicate, indispensability, integrity, commitment, problem solving, initiative, decision making, evaluating, delegating and managing.
Communication Skills
This set of skills cannot be over emphasized enough. They require the ability to articulate, explain, persuade and speak at public settings (meetings, work presentation or informal settings). Top tip is how well you are understood either through an email or letter or through your speech.
Information Technology Skills
The use of I.T skills is more than essential in our everyday life. However you need to show an ability to use formal I.T skills in a work environment. Top tip is having the ability to use Microsoft Office packages.
Research and Analytical Skills
This set of transferable skills have the ability to search or look for information or data, organise them, interprete and make inferences, theories and decisions or solutions based on your findings. Top tip is the need to want to solve problems, by thinking, creativity and curiosity.
How do I know if I have them?
You already have transferable skills. You just need to list them out now and apply them.
Get out your pen and a paper and begin to make a list of skills and talents you have acquired thus far. Reflect on the roles you have done in the past (even in an educational environment) and as you go through this set of skills, create a list of your own set of transferable skills.
If you are experiencing difficulty identifying which set of skills are transferable, reach out to us through either of our social media platforms and we shall gladly guide you through.
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