If you’re looking for a career change, you’ll want to spend some time thinking about what transferable skills you have. Transferable skills are any skills you have that employers in many different industries look for when they are looking for new staff. You might have skills such as adaptability, communication, teamwork or any other qualities that will make you stand out as a strong candidate. Transferable skills can be used to present your past experience as valuable when applying for a new job—especially if it’s in a different industry.
Here are some of the top transferable skills that employers look for:
Communication
Employers often look for candidates with strong communication skills. If you’ve developed the ability to easily share information with colleagues, you can apply them in any workplace. Strong communication is the ability to clearly impart information to others by speaking, writing or via other mediums such as video.
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. Employers like candidates who can evaluate a situation and offer the best solution. With critical thinking skills, you can be trusted to make decisions independently without micromanagement.
Adaptability
Adaptability skills are used to continue working towards goals even as teams, projects, management or products change. Employers hire flexible candidates who can quickly learn new skills and processes to ensure work is done efficiently, effectively and with a positive attitude.
Being self-aware
It’s the interview question everyone dreads: “What are your weaknesses?” But this is actually a great opportunity to demonstrate your level of self-awareness. If you are able to identify a weakness in yourself and say how you implement a strategy to overcome that weakness, it proves that you are able to assess a situation, acknowledge your limits, and are prepared to improve yourself.
Being tech-savvy
If you can show you’re across the latest technology, social media, innovation, and industry trends, you’re going to be a much more attractive proposition than someone who isn’t. Almost every position across all industries will require the use of technology at some level. In an increasingly technological world and workplace, employers value candidates who can learn new tools and software quickly to complete tasks.
Teamwork
Teamwork means having the ability to work with others to reach a common goal. Effective teamwork requires several other qualities such as empathy, active listening and strong communication. Providing successful teamwork examples during interviews can help employers understand how you’ll work with others in their company.
