What are transferable skills?
What are the transferable skills needed across all sectors of industry and commerce? Simply stated they are PORTABLE SKILLS.
People usually think about their transferable skills when applying for a job, promotion or considering a career change. Employers often look for people who can demonstrate a good set of transferable skills.
The good news is that you already have transferable skills – you’ve developed such skills and abilities throughout your working life, perhaps at university, at home and in your social interactions, as well as through any experience in your life.
It is often important that you can identify and give examples of the transferable skills that you have developed - this will go a long way to persuading prospective employers that you are right for the job.
You may think that a lack of relevant, industry-specific experience will stop you from getting a job but this is not always the case. If you are changing careers, you’ll be pleased to learn that employers are often looking for potential. It is vital, therefore, that you sell your potential by demonstrating the transferable skills that you have developed already.
Communication Skills
Communication skills help you exchange information with people both inside and outside your company. The ability to get your point across well will be relevant in any role where you have to interact with people or create or present content on behalf of or to your team or company.
- Content Writing/Development/Creation
- Editing
- Grant Writing
- Language Proficiencies
- Phone Screening
- Proposal Writing
- Public Speaking
Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal skills help you work well with team members, managers, direct reports, clients, and stakeholders. If your job requires interacting with people in any way, these are likely to be of high importance.
- Business Development
- Client/Account Management
- Collaboration
- Conflict Management and Resolution
- Customer Service
- Partnership Development
- Process Development
- Relationship Building
- Sales Skills
- Teamwork
Leadership Skills
The ways in which you have exercised your ability to manage and lead can set you apart and are also industry-fluid.
- Change Management
- Company Culture Leadership
- Employee Training and Development Facilitation
- Mentorship Skills
- Team Management or Leadership
- People Management
- Project/Program/Operations Management
- Strategy Leadership
- Talent Acquisition/Hiring Committee Leadership
Other Soft Skills
These talents and strengths can tell your future employer where you shine outside of the technical requirements of the job.
- Adaptability
- Agility
- Attention to Detail
- Creative Thinking
- Goal Setting
- Independence/Self-Motivation
- Innovation
- Multitasking
- Organisation
- Problem Solving
- Resourcefulness
- Time Management
- Emotional intelligence
Technical and Task-Oriented Skills
These are tools and tasks in which you are proficient that could add value to your next opportunity, regardless of industry.
- Accounting
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Bookkeeping
- Content Management Systems (such as WordPress, Drupal, and Squarespace)
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software (such as Salesforce)
- Database Management
- Equipment Installation
- Google Analytics
- Graphic Design
- HTML/CSS
- Ideation and Concepting
- Microsoft Office Suite: With software this broad, you might want to specify tasks such as making pivot tables, creating macros, or performing data analysis in Excel or creating presentations in PowerPoint.
- Project Management and Collaboration Software (such as Trello, Asana, Airtable, Jira, Slack, and G Suite)
- Reporting and Analysis Skills
- Social Media Management and Scheduling
- SEO
- Professional Certifications: Certifications often speak to skills that can be transferable to other industries, such as Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications indicating that someone has project management skills, organization skills, and leadership skills. Credentials like Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) or Google Analytics Individual Qualification can prove you’re an expert in the skills they’re named for.
- Typing
- Website Design
ACMA creates successful career paths through detailed individual assessment, research and job market analysis, combined with expert personalised coaching.
Note: A Career Development Association of Australia research paper found that when professional career guidance occurred that the participant was 2.67 times more likely to secure a job.
All program services can be delivered via our interactive online cloud-based career management "Career Talk" system and/or "one-on-one" in our Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Cairns or Auckland offices.
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