Transferrable Skills
As you begin your job search or consider careers that would be right for you, it is important to know what you are good at and what you enjoy doing. Over the years you have developed many skills from coursework, extracurricular activities, internships, jobs and your total life experiences. If you’ve researched, written, edited and presented papers for classes, you’ve used skills that are not limited to any one academic discipline or knowledge area but are transferable to many occupations.
Review the following lists and note all the skills you have. Then write down the 10 skills you would enjoy using most. With each, include a brief example of how you have demonstrated that skill in a job, class, internship, or extracurricular activity. You can refer back to this as you consider career options and prepare for a job search and interviews.
Example:
SKILL: Leading
HOW: Led the Business Oriented Women (BOW) recruitment process by marketing to potential members; resulting in an increase in applications from 70 to 114.
Human RelationsAttend to social, physical or mental needs of people |
Design & Problem SolvingImagine the future, develop a process for creating it |
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CommunicationExchange, transmission and expression of knowledge and ideas |
Organization, ManagementDirect and guide a group in completing tasks and attaining goals |
Research & PlanningThe search for specific knowledge |
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How do your skills and qualities match with what is important to employers?
According to the 2022 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook Survey, the top 10 qualities/skills employers seek are transferable skills.
- Problem-solving skills
- Analytical/quantitative skills
- Ability to work in a team
- Communication skills (written)
- Initiative
- Strong work ethic
- Technical skills
- Flexibility/adaptability
- Detail-oriented
- Leadership
