Useful Skills Across a Wide Range of Industries

Transferable skills, also known as "portable skills", are skills that can be transferred from one job to another. Transferrable skills are especially important when you are changing jobs or industries. You likely already have many skills that are transferable by employers, such as organization, communication, relationship building, or attention to detail.

What are Transferable Skills?

Transferable skills are skills that are useful in a variety of jobs and industries. Transferable skills can be used to position your experience when applying for a new job—especially if it's in a different industry.

For example, employers often look for candidates with strong communication skills. Once you have developed the ability to share information easily to and from colleagues, you can apply it to any workplace.

Jobs in education, for example, require individuals who can communicate well with students, parents, and other fellow academics. Meanwhile, people in marketing positions must be able to communicate with team members, clients, managers and others to take a campaign from idea to production.

Types of Transferable Skills

Before applying for a new job, take time to consider what skills you currently have that could be a plus for transferring to a new employer. Read through several job descriptions for the roles you are interested in, paying close attention to the skills and experience required. Each individual's list of transferable skills will vary, but some common skills employers are looking for include:

Communications

Strong communication is the ability to convey information to others by speaking, writing or in other media. Communication skills help you know when and how to ask questions, how to read body language and how to speak to others in a variety of contexts.

In the workplace, employers value strong communicators for their ability to work with others and move projects forward. Communication skills that can benefit a variety of industries include:

• Active listening
• Written communication
• Verbal communication
• Confidence
• Give and receive feedback
• Nonverbal communication
• responsiveness
• Public speaking

Dependability

Dependability or reliability includes qualities that make you a trusted employee. This includes punctuality, organization and responsibility. Every employer is looking for candidates who can be trusted to complete tasks properly and on time. They often trust these same people to manage relationships, tasks, and goals successfully. Skills of transferable reliability include:

• Integrity
• Work ethic
• High achiever
• Meet deadlines
• Honesty

Teamwork

Working in a team involves the ability to work with others towards a common goal. Effective teamwork requires several other qualities such as empathy, active listening and strong communication. Providing examples of successful teamwork during interviews can help an employer understand how you will work with others in the company if you have the following skills:

• Build relationships
• Active listening
• Collaboration
• Self-awareness
• Conflict resolution

Organization

Well-organized people have a strong, uncluttered structure in their workspace, tasks, and relationships. Organized employees usually meet deadlines, communicate with others in a timely manner and follow instructions well.

Employers can trust organized workers to meet deadlines, keep records, and ensure projects are completed efficiently. Transferable organizational skills include:

• time management
• Attention to detail
• Analytical thinking
• Priority

Adaptability

Adaptability is used to keep working towards goals even when the team, project, management, or product changes. Employers hire flexible candidates who are able to efficiently learn new skills and processes including:

• Creativity
• positive attitude
• flexibility
• Patience

Leadership

Leadership traits include traits like strong communication, building relationships and being dependable. Most employers value people who can organize a team to achieve a common goal with the following skills:

• Delegation
• Interpersonal skills
• Conflict resolution
• Project management
• Team building
• Take a risk
• Goal setting

Decision-making

Decision-making appeals to employers as a whole because it conveys confidence and good judgment, which are valuable in any industry. Decision making requires you to analyze situations, predict possible outcomes, and come up with solutions or actions within an efficient time frame.

Empathy

Having strong empathy and emotional intelligence supports a healthy work environment and helps build strong relationships with clients and co-workers. Since many jobs involve working or interacting with other people, having empathy is a skill that most employers desire with the following attitudes:

• Listening skills
• Mediation
• Perspective taking
• Curiosity

initiative

Being able to motivate yourself at work is an impressive skill regardless of the industry you find yourself in. Take initiative to pursue new assignments, contribute ideas and produce high-quality work. Here are some attitudes that can help demonstrate commitment to your work and often result in career advancement:

• Self-motivation
• High achiever
• Process improvement
• Desire
• Goal setting

Technology Literacy

Tech literacy is your comfort with and ability to navigate new technologies. Nearly every position in every industry will require some level of use of technology.

In an increasingly technological workplace, employers value candidates who can learn new tools and software to complete tasks. For that, it will be very beneficial if you have the following skills:

• Problem solving
• Programming skills
• Point of sale software
• Customer relationship management software
• Productivity software

You can get the skills above through experience in working on a project or interacting with other people, especially working in groups. These abilities can also continue to develop along with the experience of meeting various kinds of people with different backgrounds.