Understanding Your Transferable Skills

As a job candidate, how well do you know your capabilities? When applying for a job, you may think that the most important factor is how your résumé looks in terms of directly relevant experience, but knowing the role of your transferable skills is also highly important!

What Are Transferable Skills?

Some skills are specific to a certain industry or a set of responsibilities. These are acquired and developed in and for particular contexts. However, there is an entire category of skills you’ve developed across multiple contexts, some of which you may not even be actively aware of. These are also crucial in demonstrating how well you fit a position. Transferable skills are the abilities that you can apply across different positions, responsibilities, and areas of your life. Verbal communication, conflict resolution, writing abilities, delegation and leadership abilities, and creativity are all examples.

Highlighting Them During the Search

If you want to give recruiters the best possible representation of yourself as a candidate, you don’t want to put all your eggs in the “relevant experience” basket. While it’s true that your résumé will catch the eye of a hiring manager if it’s loaded with experience in the exact type of position they’re hoping to fill, there’s more to your professional profile than this. In your résumé, cover letter, interview, and even the employee brand you build for yourself online, make it clear that you have a highly developed transferable skillset that makes you valuable wherever you go.

Applying Them in the Workplace

Of course, if you integrate and highlight your transferable skills throughout your job search but fail to deliver on those promises once you’ve landed the position, you’ll run into trouble. On the job, don’t rely entirely on your non-transferable credentials to take you places. Always remember that a shiny technical skillset will only get you so far if you don’t combine it with traits that will make you a professional anyone can work with. If you can shape yourself into a strong, efficient, and enjoyable collaborator, you’ll have an easier time establishing more value for yourself as a professional and ensuring real growth in your career!

Your search for a great job will be most successful when you develop a detailed understanding of yourself as a professional and what you, your skills, and your talents have to offer your employers. Use the Summit Search job portal to take your search to the next level today!

*If you experience trouble submitting your resume' here, please email the recruiter directly, you can find the recruiter's email address next to photo of the recruiter above, or contact your our local office.