Transferrable Skills
Transferrable Skills
November 9, 2012
When you’re writing your résumé, it might be challenging to promote yourself and your skills.
Sometimes you might be applying for a job that you don’t think you’re totally qualified for. Other times you may just be confused about what skills and experience you should include on your résumé. Don’t worry! I have two words to help you figure it all out: transferrable skills.
Transferrable skills are skills that are important for any job, in any work place. I’m talking about skills like: communication, leadership, organization, problem-solving, creativity -- the list goes on! You’ve probably already learned these skills and you don’t’ even know it yet.
A lot of students or young workers today work in the customer service industry. Working in a coffee shop or doing dishes might seem like an uninteresting job that doesn’t provide a lot of learning opportunities, but that’s not true at all! Even the most simple jobs and tasks can help you gain “transferrable skills”.
Here are some examples to get you started:
- Job:
- Day Labourer (landscaping, cutting grass, etc.)
- Task:
- Your boss gives you 4 tasks to complete by the end of the day
- Skill:
- Organization
“Improved organizational skills by independently planning and completing essential lawn maintenance tasks every shift”
- Job:
- Food Service (fast food, coffee shop, waiting tables, etc.)
- Task:
- Working as fast as you can to serve all customers
- Skill:
- Time management
“Developed excellent time management skills by greeting, ringing through, and serving customers as efficiently as possible”
- Job:
- Retail (clothing store, grocery store, etc.)
- Task:
- Answering customer questions at the cash register and over the phone
- Skill:
- Communication
“Enhanced communication skills by handling incoming calls, answering customer enquiries, and helping solve customer issues and concerns”
It’s all about knowing your tasks and responsibilities at work, and understanding the skills you already have that help you do your job successfully. You have transferrable skills, so let employers know about them! If you’re looking for even more help with your transferrable skills, check out Skills inventory.