Transferable skills are something that we all have. It is something that when recognized in your talent inventory can help you make a successful career transition. Maybe right now you are thinking, how do I even know where to begin at identifying my transferable skills, and how can I explain to an employer how my transferable skills can even be of help to them.
Let’s look at how you can identify your transferable skills and use them to make a career transition.
Step 1 – Review the job posting and think about what the employer is looking for. For example, they may want someone who has experience compiling data, with the ability to present it. Perhaps you are a recent grad, and you worked in an administrative role, and have experience with presentations in school. While working as an administrator you are typically working with data and preparing to send it to the right people. Well, these skills can be explained by describing the methods you used to compile the data accompanied by your presentation strategies while you were in school.
Typically, we have the skills, and if we can show the value to the employer of how we have gained these skills in the past and how we used them to benefit the party we are assisting, then you have a transferable skill at your disposal to use on a resume, cover letter, or in an interview.
Step 2 – Brainstorming and creating a mind map.Create a mind map and brainstorm on a simple piece of paper. Highlight on the job posting what skills you have already and jot down one or two points of things you have done to qualify for these points. On the skills that you may not have much experience with, think about where the skills you have used can transfer over because the method to do the task required will be able to transfer to the job posting request.
Think about things you have done in volunteering, work settings, or in school that can transfer over. Even if you only have a little bit of the experience necessary, still think of how this skill can tie into the experience the employer is looking for. When it comes to skills like strong writing skills, and you have not done a lot of writing since school, use your academic writing skills as an example.
Step 3 – Putting it all together. Once you have your points and examples clarified write out your experience in a Problem, Action, Result statement (also known as a PAR Statement). Using the writing skill as an example, you might say something along the lines of “Demonstrated strong report writing skills shown through academic writing to provide effective reports based on the complex subject matter, which resulted in providing readers with effective examples and concise information.”
While writing points like this can be daunting when you first get started, it is important to keep in mind that your resume is giving points of what you have achieved and how you can help the employer review your resume. Always keep in mind, what would this employer want to know about me that can help them. Resumes are reviewed in several seconds, so it is important that on the first page you can give the employer a snapshot of what you can provide them with.
Transferable skills are important and helping an employer to understand what you can do for them, and your achievements are important. You do not have to include every single detail on your resume. The bigger details can be explained in the interview, while the information to draw in the employer can be done on the resume. Remember pointing out transferable skills while switching industries on the resume is what will intrigue the employer to connect further with you.
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