In your lifetime, it’s likely you have encountered the saying “Everything happens for a reason”. Whether you believe it or not, in the context of your transferable skills, this saying could not be more correct.
Think of transferable skills as a toolbox of learnings and abilities that you’ve developed throughout your life: at school, university, at home, in your social life as well as any experience in the workplace. These skills can be carried with you as your career progresses and changes.
Your transferable skills may be used on a daily basis. And still, many students struggle to identify them. Perhaps this boils down to the longstanding emphasis of workplace experience and qualifications needed for a job application. However, Charles Sturt’s Careers and Skills Hub values transferable skills just as much.
Take your time to identify
Knowing what your individual transferable skills are and being able to discuss them with confidence will expose you to job opportunities you may have never previously considered.
As you read the following examples of transferable skills, consider their relevancy to you: your past experiences, personality, actions and values.
Employability skills
These are the skills a majority of employers are looking for:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
- Self-management
- Planning and organising
- Technology
- Learning
- Initiative and enterprise
Personal skills
- Adaptability
- Confidence
- Resilience
- Optimism
- Willingness to learn
- Initiative
Personal skills are just as important as those you develop at school, university or in the workplace. They are what make you unique and can determine your effectiveness in a certain job role.
Leadership skills
- Strategic thinking
- Time management
- Communication
- Creativity
- Teamwork
… just to name a few.
Your toolbox
Create a list of the transferable skills that apply to you. The Careers and Skills Hub recommends you cross-examine the skills you have in your personal – and metaphorical – toolbox, to the ones required for your future job. Are there any transferable skills you could either improve or even work on obtaining?
For more information and tips, register for a free workshop hosted by the Careers and Skills Hub.
