Identify Transferable Skills

A transferable skill is an ability that can apply in many different situations.

For example, playing in a sports league with your friends may not be professional job experience, but it could be a great example of how committed you are and your ability to work well on a team.

You can use transferable skills to meet various job descriptions.

Take a look at some common transferrable skills in the video and the rest of this Byte!

Some skills like teamwork can be used in every workplace. This skill shows hiring managers that you can work well alone and on team projects.

Teamwork is a skill that is used at lots of companies in order to look at ways that you can collaborate with a team. Having this skill is a great way to show that you can work with others in your organization.

Listening is used in many ways in the workplace. When it comes to listening in a meeting, you want to listen to understand and not listen just to respond.

When you do respond, make sure that the other person has stopped talking before you begin speaking.

Every job has some form of communication like: email, face-to-face meetings, and even online communication with members of the same team. The goal is to be as clear as possible so that you can communicate what's needed in order to complete a project.

When you're picking an example of your communication skills, ask yourself: will an example of written, spoken, or virtual communication be most relevant to the job?

Every interview asks pertinent questions related to the role such as:

• What makes you a great candidate for this role?

• Why did you decide to apply for this job?

• Can you tell me a little bit more about your previous experience in relation to this role?

All of these questions are great ways to tie in your transferable skills so that you can show that you are a knowledgeable candidate for the role. Highlight the skills most connected to the role you're interviewing for.

The image below includes specific skills connected to common words you may encounter in job postings.

Look at the job description of the role you're applying for. Then, make sure the specific skills mentioned in the posting are highlighted throughout your resume and your cover letter.

Keep in mind that your transferable skills can place you above your competition in the interview process. Your goal is to be the final choice for the role.

State your skills when you're answering interview questions. This helps the hiring manager remember what you stated in your resume and your cover letter.

In any process, you want to stay at the top of the hiring manager's mind so that you will be asked to join the company. In closing, your transferable skills will help you as you apply for various roles as this will help you to be seen as the most viable candidate.

As you prepare for your next interview, make a list of what transferrable skills will relate to this role. Then brainstorm one experience you have that relates to each skill