Transferable skills are skills that can be transferred to another career or even multiple careers. As opposed to technical abilities that may be job-specific, your transferable skills can be carried around with you to a range of different roles. This blog will discuss transferable skills and how they can be used on your CV when looking for a career change.
Examples of Transferable Skills
If you want to change your career, you should focus on how you can use the skills you have accumulated throughout your career, especially if you need training on the technical side of things. These are some examples of transferable skills and how you might use them in your CV.
Customer Service
You may want to move from a call centre role to a role within retail. You may have no experience within the retail sector or dealing with customers face-to-face, so this is where your transferable skills come into play. For example, you have dealt with customer queries and complaints and may have been responsible for upselling products. These are all skills you can mention on your CV as transferable skills for a role within retail.
Teamwork
There are many roles where working as part of a team is integral to the role. If you decide to move from a freelancer to a permanent role, for example, you might be concerned that an employer will disregard you as they feel you won’t be able to work as part of a team. However, you can highlight transferable skills on your CV by discussing working with different departments remotely, juggling a number of clients, being part of team calls, etc.
Management
Regardless of the industry, the skills required in management are fundamentally the same. As a manager, you manage a range of personalities, manage a workload, and delegate responsibilities. Your key responsibilities are generally the same and should be highlighted on your CV.
Initiative
Suppose you are changing careers to a role where you fundamentally manage your workload and schedule—from working as a school teacher to counselling adults. The role will be different, but you can highlight your ability to work on your initiative and manage your workload.
What to do next
It is a good idea to write down and list the essential skills you have developed throughout your career and the skills you will need in your next job. You can then understand the transferable skills you have and identify the skills you don’t have. You may be able to undertake a training course to help you gain those skills while you are applying for new jobs. Doing this will show employers you have transferable skills and undertake training to help you achieve the necessary skills.
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