Transferable skills are some of the top resume skills that employers are looking for. This is because they can apply to so many different skills in so many different areas of expertise on a resume. It also makes them an important showcase of interpersonal skills.
“When crafting a career change resume, it’s all about showcasing those transferable skills, relevant achievements, and any tailored education or certifications, all wrapped up in a strong summary that aligns perfectly with the new role you’re aiming for—make sure your experience speaks the language of your next career!” says Clair Levy, a twice-certified resume writer with over 15 years of experience in career transition.
But how do you showcase these in-demand skills? How do you show these areas of expertise?
This article will help you understand what transferable skills are, why they’re important, and how to identify your own transferable skills.
10 transferable skills to add to your resume
Strong transferable skills show employers that you can perform well in a new role, even if it’s outside of your current field or industry.
While every job requires specific levels of skills and experience, some core transferable skills will help you succeed in any role.
Here are the top 10 transferable skills you should consider adding to your resume:
1) Communication
Communication skills are required on more than 35% of job postings, which Jobscan discovered after analyzing more than 10 million listings.
Communication is the ability to express your thoughts, ideas, and feelings verbally or in writing. This skill is essential for any job, no matter the industry or field.
Good communication isn’t just about expressing yourself – it’s also about listening carefully to others. This can help avoid conflicts at work, improve morale, and strengthen relationships.
- Led cross-departmental meetings to communicate project goals, ensuring alignment and reducing misunderstandings by 30%.
- Drafted and edited internal communications that improved team clarity and reduced project delays by 20%.
- Managed client relationships by providing clear, concise, and timely updates, increasing customer satisfaction by 15%.
- Delivered engaging presentations to senior leadership, which led to the approval of three new company initiatives.
2) Time management
Did you know that spending 10 minutes planning your day will save you at least 2 hours later on? Having these types of organizational skills shows recruiters you can handle the work load, you care, and that you’re up for the tasks at hand.
This is why hiring managers love to see time management skills on resumes!
- Prioritized and delegated tasks within the team, resulting in the completion of a major project 10% ahead of schedule.
- Utilized project management tools like Trello to effectively track progress and meet deadlines consistently, leading to a 25% productivity boost.
- Created and maintained a daily workflow schedule that reduced downtime and improved overall team efficiency by 20%.
- Successfully balanced multiple client projects by organizing time-sensitive tasks, meeting 100% of deadlines.
3) Problem-solving
No company wants to hire someone who can’t solve problems. They don’t want someone who runs to the manager every time something goes wrong.
Hiring managers want employees who embrace tough challenges. They seek those who can find creative solutions to any problem.
- Developed a troubleshooting protocol that resolved customer issues 15% faster, reducing support ticket volume.
- Identified a bottleneck in the production process and implemented a solution that improved output by 10%.
- Resolved a major conflict between team members, restoring collaboration and improving project outcomes by 20%.
- Conducted a root cause analysis to resolve recurring technical issues, saving the company $50,000 in operational costs.
4) Teamwork
Being able to work on a team and collaborate is more important than ever.
No matter what job you’re applying for, it’s likely that you’ll be working with a team in some capacity. This means you must show potential employers that you have the ability to collaborate and contribute to the group. If you have leadership skills as well, teamwork is a great area to highlight that.
- Collaborated with a cross-functional team to launch a new product, contributing to a 25% increase in revenue.
- Worked closely with team members to brainstorm innovative solutions, leading to a 15% improvement in project performance.
- Actively participated in regular team meetings to ensure smooth communication and helped the team meet all key deadlines.
- Supported a fellow team member with a high-priority task, ensuring successful project completion ahead of schedule.
5) Creativity
Some jobs may seem uncreative. But, creativity is a valuable skill in most workplaces.
Creativity at work means thinking outside the box. It means seeing things from a new perspective. It also means coming up with fresh, innovative ideas.
Creative employees help their organization stay competitive in today’s fast-changing market.
- Designed a new product interface that enhanced user experience, increasing customer satisfaction by 20%.
- Developed a creative content strategy that boosted social media engagement by 30%.
- Innovatively restructured the internal feedback process, reducing response time by 25% and improving team morale.
- Spearheaded a new marketing campaign that resulted in a 15% increase in lead generation.
6) Critical thinking
Businesses need workers who can think on their feet. They must assess problems with an open mind. Decisions should be based on facts, not emotions or opinions.
That’s why having critical thinking skills can be so important for hiring managers to see proof of.
- Analyzed customer feedback and identified areas for improvement, resulting in a 10% decrease in churn rate.
- Evaluated data from multiple sources to develop a pricing strategy that increased profit margins by 12%.
- Assessed risk factors in a proposed project and recommended adjustments, saving the company from potential losses.
- Used data analytics to identify trends and make decisions that improved operational efficiency by 15%.
7) Initiative
Initiative is the ability to act without waiting for directions from others.
Employees who show initiative take ownership of their work. They find problems and solutions. Then, they act on them with little guidance from supervisors.
- Volunteered to lead a project that had been stalled for months, completing it ahead of time and under budget.
- Identified an opportunity to automate a routine process, saving the team 10 hours of work per week.
- Took the initiative to learn a new software program, which improved team workflow and reduced project completion time by 20%.
- Proposed and implemented a new mentorship program for new hires, improving onboarding efficiency by 30%.
8) Dependability
Dependability is all about being reliable and consistent. This means showing up on time, meeting deadlines, and doing your job well.
Dependability is a key skill in jobs with strict structures, like the military, law enforcement, and healthcare.
No matter the job, if you can prove you’re dependable, you’ll have a big edge over other candidates!
- Consistently met all deadlines across multiple projects, ensuring the team delivered results on time.
- Volunteered to cover additional responsibilities during a team member’s absence, maintaining workflow without disruption.
- Maintained a 100% attendance record for two consecutive years, ensuring team consistency and productivity.
- Successfully managed sensitive client data with 100% accuracy and confidentiality over a five-year period.
9) Empathy
As workplaces go digital and less in-person, empathy skills are vital.
Empathy helps us understand how other people feel. It allows us to put ourselves in their shoes and think about how our decisions might impact them. Customer service skills are an excellent example showcasing empathy that can be applied to a number of roles.
Empathy is especially important for managers and employees that need leadership skills. In fact, empathy is called an essential quality numerous times in the U.S. Army’s Field Manual on Leader Development.
- Mediated team conflicts by listening to all perspectives, which improved team cohesion and increased productivity by 15%.
- Implemented a customer feedback system that showed empathy for client needs, resulting in a 20% increase in customer retention.
- Supported colleagues through stressful periods by offering assistance and understanding, contributing to a 10% increase in overall team satisfaction.
- Led an initiative to improve work-life balance for employees, reducing burnout rates by 30%.
10) Digital skills
In today’s world, digital skills are vital. Social media and tech change daily. This is also why many older adults, and young people, can become digitally illiterate. “Sadly, neither watching TikTok videos nor playing Minecraft fulfills the technology brief,” says Ludmila Milla, CEO of an e-learning provider.
Unfortunately, poor digital skills will limit your career prospects.
This also means they are often a skill that generates high income.
- Automated data entry processes using Excel macros, reducing manual workload by 50%.
- Implemented and managed a customer relationship management (CRM) system, improving client tracking and communication by 25%.
- Created and maintained a company website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which increased web traffic by 40%.
- Led training sessions on digital tools such as Slack, Asana, and Zoom, enhancing team communication and productivity by 30%.
What are transferable skills?
Transferable skills can be applied to any job in any field or industry. They’re especially important if you’re thinking about changing careers.
For example, if you work in customer service you probably have good communication and problem-solving skills. You could then “transfer” these skills to a job as an administrative or executive assistant, an account manager, a teacher, or a product manager.
That’s why transferable skills are also known as “portable skills.” They are the abilities you acquire and then take with you from one job to another.
Transferable skills can be either hard or soft.
Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities. You learn them through formal education or training. They include skills like analytics, data analysis, accounting, and speaking foreign languages.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are personality traits that enable you to interact effectively with other people. Soft skills examples include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management.
Don’t underestimate the importance of your transferable soft skills!
Employers want candidates with resume skills. They should work well with others, handle stress, and think creatively.
“I never judge people by their education and qualifications,” says Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group. “We focus on hiring people with transferable skills – team players who can pitch in and help others in all sorts of situations.”
How to highlight transferable skills on a resume
Most job seekers overlook the importance of highlighting their transferable skills when writing their resume. This is a mistake!
Here are three ways to maximize your transferable skills on your resume. They will help you impress potential employers.
1) Use specific examples
To show your transferable skills, give specific examples of when you used them.
For example, to show your teamwork skills, mention a time when you successfully worked on a team project at work or school. Also, mention a time when you helped with a community service project.
If you are trying to show that you have good communication skills, give an example of a time when you had to explain a complex concept to someone unfamiliar with it.
Always use strong action verbs to introduce a skill. This will help your resume stand out.
2) Focus on the skills listed in job descriptions
To find which transferable skills to highlight on your resume, check the job descriptions of your desired positions. Look for skills mentioned there.
For example, if the job description mentions that the ideal candidate should be “detail-oriented,” and “have excellent time management skills,” you should mention examples of times when you have demonstrated both of these skills in your previous experiences.
3) Tailor your resume to each job using keywords
Not only should you focus on the skills listed in the job description, but you should also try to use the exact same words used to describe those skills on your resume.
These are called keywords (keywords can also be phrases).
For example, if a job description mentions that the ideal candidate should have “experience with customer service,” you should include the keyword “customer service” on your resume (don’t lie though).
Keywords are super important these days. Why? Because most companies use computer software to help them in the hiring process.
This software is called an applicant tracking system, or ATS. It’s essentially a database that your resume is automatically sent to when you submit your application.
Hiring managers use the ATS to find suitable job candidates by typing keywords into the search bar. If your resume contains these keywords, the hiring managers will see it.
If your resume does not contain these keywords, it will remain in the database, unseen.
This is why it’s so important to tailor your resume to each and every job you apply to!
For example, Jobscan has a free, easy-to-use feature called the Bullet Point Generator. This allows you to create the perfect resume in minutes that highlight your achievements and skills. The Resume Builder identifies the skills you need for a role, you click on it, and it’s on your resume.
If you were to tailor your resume to this specific job, it might look something like this:
In this example, Adrian puts the hard and soft skills found in the job description into his resume’s skills section.
He also includes some of the keywords in his resume summary to increase his chances that a hiring manager will find his resume through an ATS search.
Using keywords is one of the most effective ways to feature your transferable skills on your resume. Just remember to avoid keyword stuffing!
You can easily do this using Jobscan’s Bullet Point Generator in the Resume Builder. This is a feature that immediately shows you the required skills for specific jobs you’re looking to apply to. Then, you can add them in seconds with a simple click.
It might take a little more time and effort to tailor each resume to the specific job opening, but it will definitely help you get more job interviews!
How to highlight transferable skills in a job interview
Are you preparing for a job interview? Congratulations! Now that you are prepping, it’s essential to identify and highlight all the transferable skills you will bring to the new role.
Here are three ways to showcase your transferable skills during a job interview:
1) Use those skills in the interview itself
In a job interview, the interviewer will ask about your skills. But, they want to see how you use those skills in the real world.
For example, if you apply for a customer service job, the interviewer may ask you to role-play with an upset customer.
This is your chance to show your skills in problem-solving, conflict resolution, and working with people. Do it during the interview!
2) Make connections to the responsibilities required in the new job
As you answer questions in the interview, make sure to explain what skills you have that could be applied to the new role.
For example, if the job requires excellent problem-solving skills, you could discuss a project or task that required a lot of strategizing and problem-solving to complete successfully.
If the job involves teamwork, give examples of team projects. Discuss how you worked with others to achieve a successful outcome.
3) Be specific
Don’t just list your good transferable skills in a job interview. The interviewer wants to hear specific examples of how you have used those skills in the past.
Examples provide concrete evidence that you can do what you claim to be able to do.
If you can share any hard numbers related to your success, such as increased sales or productivity metrics, be sure to include them!
For example, if you want to highlight your initiative skills, you might say, “I created a process that saved 300 hours of manual labor a month and reduced costs by 10% annually.”
Or if you want to show off your communication skills, you could say, “I worked in customer service for the past five years and was able to decrease customer complaints by 30% within my first year.”
Providing concrete examples of accomplishments will demonstrate that you are an experienced professional who is confident in their abilities.
Why are transferable skills important?
In today’s competitive job market, having transferable skills isn’t just a bonus – it’s a necessity.
Here are four reasons why having transferable skills is important for your career.
1) Transferable skills make up for lack of experience
If you’re applying for a job you’re not quite qualified for, transferable skills can help fill in the gaps.
If you’re applying for a job that requires more experience, highlight transferable skills. For example, you can mention your quick learning and your willingness to take on new challenges.
2) Transferable skills make you more attractive to employers
In general, employers are looking for candidates who are well-rounded and have a diverse set of skills.
Highlight your transferable skills on your resume. This will attract employers and boost your hiring chances.
3) Transferable skills help you transition to a new career
Transferable skills can be extremely helpful if you want to make a career change.
Highlight your transferable skills. They show employers you can succeed in the role, even without direct experience in the industry.
4) Transferable skills enable you to succeed in your current role
Even if you’re not job hunting, it’s good to develop your skills. Highlighting your transferable skills can help in your current job.
For example, if you’re looking to be promoted, developing leadership skills is a great way to show your superiors that you’re ready for the next level.
The great thing about transferable skills is that we all have them! It’s just a matter of identifying them and highlighting the relevant ones on your resume and during a job interview.
Remember, the best way to increase your chances of getting an interview is to tailor each and every resume to the specific job you’re applying to. Good luck!
FAQ
Transferable skills are vital. They apply to different jobs and industries. They make you adaptable in a changing job market. They help you transition to new roles, fill gaps, and boost your employability.
Transferable skills are abilities that apply to many jobs. These skills include both hard and soft skills. They are communication, problem-solving, time management, and leadership. These can be “transferred” from one job to another.
Start by reflecting on your past work, volunteer, or life experiences. List the tasks you’ve performed and the skills required for them. Compare these with the skills mentioned in job descriptions to find overlaps. Examples of transferable skills include teamwork, leadership, and digital literacy.
They show a candidate can succeed in various roles, even without industry experience. These skills prove you can adapt, collaborate, and solve problems. You can handle new challenges, making you a valuable team asset.
On your resume, list transferable skills in the skills section. In your work history, give examples of how you’ve applied them. In your cover letter, highlight one or two key skills for the job. Support them with specific achievements from your past roles.
Transferable skills include both hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (interpersonal traits). Soft skills, like communication and empathy, are transferable skills. But, transferable skills also include hard skills. These are things like project management and digital literacy. Many industries can use them.