What Are Transferable Skills? 15 Great Examples

Employees with strong written communication skills can clearly transmit messages and information in the absence of visual signals ensuring that they move thighs along smoothly in an organization.

A friend of mine who was a journalist had excellent writing skills which she used to enter the more lucrative advertising industry as a copywriter. She eventually made it all the way to a creative director position simply because of her ability to creatively pen ideas and concepts in an effective manner.

4. Creativity

Speaking of creativity, this transferable skill isn't necessarily about your ability to paint or draw, unless it's related to your job. If we were to put creativity and creative thinking as transferable skills in a sentence:

‍“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought.” - Albert Einstien

Creativity is defined by the way you approach projects and solve difficulties. Are you a thinker who thinks outside the box? Do you use unique approaches to assist clients in understanding how to use the product? 

Innovative solutions to issues are found by creative thinking. People use these abilities to assist their employers in seeing things differently and solving challenges in novel ways.

As an example, you might question whether a person with a dry job such as a data analyst is creative at all. 

But if a data analyst was to apply for the job of a Project Manager he could specifically mention the creative skills he has developed to find and visualize hidden trends in absurd amounts of large data.

This same creativity he could bring to his job as a Project Manager to find problems and trends over multiple projects and offer solutions. 

5. Project management

This, of course, brings us to project management as a transferable skill. The ability to manage projects to a successful conclusion is a much-valued skill for any given job.

Project management abilities assist you in managing assignments from inception to completion. You ensure that everything is completed on schedule and change the timeframe when things do not go as planned. 

Employers want employees who can picture what needs to happen on a project from start to finish, not just see it through. This transferable talent aids in meeting deadlines and completing projects efficiently and successfully.

Suppose you have a track record of successfully managing plumbing projects with a team. If you were to switch careers, you could use the core project management abilities to demonstrate that you could be a great Supervisor for a team of solar system installers.

Employers would find this of great value even though the skills required to install solar panels have nothing directly to do with your current skills to lay plumbing lines.

6. Problem-solving

Your problem-solving abilities enable you to not only detect that there is an issue but also to determine what is causing the problem and how to find a solution. 

Employers value it when employees spot bottlenecks or inefficiencies in a process or procedure. They are even more grateful when staff offers answers to their problems.

Let’s challenge ourselves by considering a completely tangent career change. A KFC night shift manager wants to become a web developer. Let’s also assume he has completed a certificate course in web development.

By simply demonstrating 3 or 5 solid examples of how he identified hidden problems that other managers couldn’t find at his job and how he solved them successfully, this person has immediately made himself more attractive to employers compared to a large number of fresh graduates.

7. Analytical reasoning

Analytical reasoning is, in some sense, a component of problem-solving skills: breaking down a major problem into smaller problems to find a solution. To put it another way, businesses prefer employees who can solve problems logically.

In our earlier example of the KFC Night Shift Manager, all he has to do is show how he came up with the solution by breaking the larger problem into smaller problems that can be tackled easily. This process will demonstrate his analytical reasoning abilities.

8. Critical thinking

Critical thinking, like problem-solving and analytical reasoning, is the examination and interpretation of information in order to make a decision, reach a conclusion, and pick a course of action. This makes critical thinking a very important asset to have.

It entails more than simply reading something and concluding, "Well, it must be true." It involves examining and evaluating evidence to see whether the information is more opinion than fact before using it to support a judgment call.

Your critical thinking abilities as a journalist, for example, could be of great value to an employer looking for a Project Manager.

9. Leadership

Leadership abilities include more than just the capacity to supervise and manage a team. Leadership abilities also include the capacity to take the lead on a project and motivate a team to follow through and achieve common goals. 

Leadership is also a coming together of many other transferable skills, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, connection development, etc. 

Working with any number of people to successfully deliver management’s expectations in any job can demonstrate leadership.

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10. Flexibility

You may discover that you need to modify due dates, procedures, or even how you approach your job as you progress in your profession. In other circumstances, you may need to master new skills to assist you in helping complete tasks. 

In business, pivots are common, whether it's a strategy or a product line. Demonstrating your ability to adjust to change demonstrates that you can go with the flow while having a pleasant attitude and getting your task done.

The very act of a policeman learning coding to become a web developer shows that he is flexible. However, the easiest way to show flexibility in any job is to demonstrate how you adapted to new technology during your last job.

11. Collaboration and teamwork

Working as a team to achieve a common goal is what collaboration is all about. Every employer knows that being on the team and being a part of the team are not the same things. 

Employers do not want employees that show up but do not contribute to the team's success. They desire team players, people who contribute positively to the group's success because research has shown that teams working together almost always achieve more than individuals do.

12. Attention to detail

When you pay attention to the minute details, you notice things that other people tend to miss. You go through projects with a fine-tooth comb to ensure everything is perfect and that nothing, no matter how minor, is overlooked. 

Because you are detail-oriented, your employer can rely on you to pay attention to every detail in a project and to spot and repair problems as needed. It also implies that you are deliberate in how projects are carried out and that all decisions are well thought out.

13. Relationship building

Relationships and networking are frequently the foundation of every business. A business will suffer if there are poor relationships across departments or with clients! 

People who establish connections easily manage conflict or conflicting goals and assist parties in reaching an agreement. They are seen as approachable and tend to be liked by others.

If you can demonstrate this skill in a previous career, it will be of great value to your new employer even if your new field is completely different.

14. Computer and IT knowledge

You may not be a technology expert, but knowing your way around the many software applications used by organizations nowadays is a smart idea. 

For example, if you learned how to operate one type of spreadsheet at your job at a supermarket warehouse, chances are you can figure out any spreadsheet. Your new employer won't have to teach you the fundamentals.

15. Management

Management is about a lot more than just simply delegating work. It also ensures that people complete their tasks and assists them in overcoming any obstacles they may face. 

Management skills allow you to ensure that people are where they need to be and that their jobs are being completed successfully. Management skills at any job are easily transferable to any other job.

Final Word

Why are transferable skills important? 

Transferable skills are just as important to employers as they are to you, and they can help you advance your career. Using your existing transferable skills to tackle new challenges shows companies that you're adaptable and versatile - both of which are transferable skills in themselves.

The capacity to go from one role to another using these talents demonstrates your adaptability in an ever-changing world.

Many job descriptions include a list of skills that the employer is looking for in applicants. You might not have all of the required skills. However, if your transferable skills are similar to the necessary skills, you will have a better chance of landing the job, even if you do not appear to be a perfect fit.

The best thing about transferable skills is that they will always stay with you! The transferable skills you build year after year will always be there for you, enabling you to adapt, adjust, and grow professionally.