Transferable skills are something most applicants overlook when creating their resume or reading a job posting. Even though it’s important to include niche skills such as specific software proficiency, transferable skills are equally as important. Most people overlook their transferable skills because it seems redundant to mention something everyone should have. Transferable skills are skills that can be carried on from job to job. Here are three tips on how to identify transferable skills, how to incorporate them in your job searches, and why they’re important.
1. Identifying transferable skills in a job posting
The easiest way to spot transferable skills is looking under the qualifications section of the job posting. The most common ones are:
- Team Work
- Written Communication
- Verbal Communication
- Organizational Skills
- Computer Skills
There are many more that are typically framed this way. These skills are broad which is why they’re easy to incorporate on your resume.
2. How to include transferable skills on your resume
The goal for your resume is to find a balance between transferable skills and niche skills. You should be aware of the application tracking system (the ATS is the software recruiters use to automatically separate the candidate resumes that are a good fit for the job from those that are not) and make sure you’re hitting all the keywords in both categories. Each job on your resume should have a summary or a bullet point list of the tasks you completed. For example, a social media assistant position might ask for someone with computer skills. You would include somewhere on your resume that you have computer skills but also include any specific software you know how to use such as Microsoft Office Suite or Google Suite.
3. Why are transferable skills important?
Okay, you have the tools to identify and apply transferable skills. So what? Why are they important? Think of transferable skills as your tools in a tool box. No matter the position, you have the tools to apply to them any new job or career. Every time you start a new job you either upgrade one of your skills or add to your tool belt.
With these three tips you should be able to narrow down your transferable skills and apply them to your job search.
This article was written by Mariana Toledo.
Mariana Toledo is a recent graduate and obtained their degree in Communications. They also have a passion for anything public relations and social media related.