Transferable Skills? What are they?

You’ve got skills, now you need to identify and communicate them to potential employers!

Transferable Skills

Skills that can transfer from one job/work field to another. The skills may be job content or personal/self-management skills that you have acquired through paid employment, volunteer work, education, hobbies, community activities and/or life experiences.

Soft Skills - Skills we use in our day-to-day lives, acquired knowledge that we don't necessarily train for ie. organizational abilities, problem solving, communication skills

Hard Skills - Skills you have learned or trained for ie. typing, equipment operation

Take a look at the following SOFT & HARD SKILLS, then ask yourself…

What things am I already doing that demonstrate this skill?
How important is this skill for what I’m thinking about doing in the future?
If it’s important to my goals, what other things can I do to further develop these skills?
How can I transfer this skill to other job/career situations?

Thrive on a Team – People who can work co-operatively with others and adapt to the styles of other team members. They make positive contributions to projects and other tasks.

Communicate – People who can clearly communicate their ideas and messages to others through oral, written and electronic communication. They are able to read and understand many kinds of information and listen to and understand what others tell them.

Solve Problems – People who can think logically and critically, and are able to come up with creative solutions to problems or new ways of doing things. They take responsibility for and stand behind the decisions they make.

Flexible / Versatile – People who can adapt to changes in the workplace.

Connect with Others – People who are friendly and sociable. They enjoy meeting and being with others and are able to build and keep solid working relationships.

Organize / Plan – People with an ability to initiate action, make decisions and solve problems.

Time Management – People who are able to set and meet deadlines.

Leadership – People who can supervise and motivate others while maintaining a positive attitude.

Take Initiative – People who are self-motivated and don’t require a lot of direction. They don’t just do the work but look for ways to do it better.

Give 100% – People who are reliable and can be counted on to do their work carefully and completely. They get to work on time and go the extra mile.

Radiate Positive Energy – People who are confident about their abilities. They are able to make others feel good and let others know what they do well.

Enjoy Learning – People who are eager to learn new ideas and skills as their jobs evolve.

Manage Information – People who are comfortable using technology to find information, plan a schedule, manage a budget or complete a task.

Practice Safe Work – People who work carefully and follow established procedures. They keep the workplace safe for themselves and others.

Computer / Math – People who have basic math skills and are comfortable using computers.

Changing Duties Into Skills

Employers want to know what you have accomplished so highlight your accomplishments and skills on your resume, don’t just list your past/present job duties and responsibilities. Demonstrate your accomplishments and skills by attaching a number, percentage, dollar value or increase/ decrease to your job duties.

Examples:    DUTY (a required job function)           SKILL (ability that comes from training or practice)
                        Typed documents                   to         Typed 75 w.p.m. with 100% accuracy
                        Supervised staff                      to         Assigned tasks and appraised performance of eight staff

Highlights of Qualifications or Skills Summary or Skills & Attributes

Here are some sample words and phrases to help with your resume section titled as above. These are just the beginnings of statements. You must personalize and prove them on your resume.

Accurate
Analytical
Bondable
Caring
Committed
Creative
Dedicated
Dependable

Detail-oriented
Diplomatic
Efficient
Energetic
Enthusiastic
Flexible
Friendly
Hard-working

Honest
Inspiring (to others)
Nurturing
Organized
Patient
People Person
Personable
Practical

Professional
Punctual
Reliable
Resourceful
Respectful
Responsible
Results-oriented
Self-starter

Sense of Humour
Tactful
Team Player
Team Oriented
Thorough
Versatile
Well-organized

Example Statements of What You Can Do:

Able to think clearly and effectively under pressure
Proven ability to get along well with other co-workers and customers
Outstanding ability to initiate action, make decisions and solve problems
Well organized, energetic and dependable
Can be counted on to see projects through to completion
Have the ability to recognize and solve problems
Reliable self-starter
Able to work with little supervision
Adapt quickly to new situations
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Dynamic and effective communicator
Proven ability to set and meet deadlines
Able to work within time constraints and complete tasks
Supervised staff and consistently maintained a positive work attitude
Work effectively as an individual and as a productive member of a team
Quick in developing excellent rapport with others
Capable (of lifting, working overtime, meeting deadlines, etc.)
Competent (in communicating, in learning new skills, etc.)
Eager (to learn new skills, responsibilities, etc.)
Honest and reliable in keeping commitments
Enthusiastic and personable
Ability to build trust and deal effectively with people
Good team player; work well with all kinds of people
Punctual, resourceful; can be counted on to get a job done
Persistent, thorough and prompt in completing projects

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Once your job search has ended and you find a job, there are things you can do to make your working life successful.

Communication skills
Working well with others requires effective communication skills, which can be learned on the job. Listening well to what is being said and asking for clarification when necessary are two particularly important skills in the workplace.

People skills
Good people skills are essential in the workplace and take time to develop. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

Practise patience. In the workplace, you often have to depend on others to get the job done, just as others may have to rely on you. The modern workplace relies on teamwork, so you need to stay calm under pressure and respect your co-workers.

Learn to accept criticism. When your supervisor hands something back to you for corrections, or suggests a different way of doing something, don't get upset; constructive criticism is part of the learning process.

Give others space to do their jobs. Ask questions if you need to, but learn to trust in your own ability to make decisions. When first training for a job, everyone will understand if you have questions about how to do things. After you settle in, try to solve problems on your own before going to your boss. That will show the employer and the other employees that you have the resources and initiative to find things out for yourself.

Forgive the mistakes of others as well as your own. Everyone has days when things don't go the right way. Being able to forgive yourself and others when mistakes are made will make you a better team member.

Learning styles
When you start a new job, there is a lot to learn about the organization, your employer, other employees and your position. That’s why it’s important to know how you learn best. For example:

Are you more likely to turn a computer on and start playing with it, or would you read the manual first?
Do you learn best by hearing about tasks, reading about tasks or performing tasks?

Let your employer know how you learn best and ask for what you need if necessary. It’s also important to look at how you can add different techniques to your learning style, like slowing down before jumping into a task or asking someone to show you how best to perform a task.

The power of knowledge
Knowledge gives you more choices. The more you learn, the more valuable you become to employers. You may be able to apply for higher positions within your organization or to transfer into another job with more responsibility.

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