Why are Transferable Skills Important and Why They'll Help You Shine

Simply defined as skills that can be applied in a variety of situations,"Transferable skills showcase your capacity to do the job and are absolutely essential in the current job market", asserts Gillian Kelly, career coach and resume expert.

Why are transferable skills important?

The good news is, you already have them, even if you've just recently entered the workforce. We develop transferable skills everywhere—at home, school, university, internships, voluntary or part-time jobs. It's easy to overlook the skills we use on a daily basis, which would be a big mistake, as transferable skills are just as valuable to employers as technical skills. Why is that so? It's simple: transferable skills make for versatile employees who are able to take on different roles and add diversity to the team.

What transferable skills do you have?

The longer the list, the higher your chances of meeting the requirements of job advertisements.

A few examples of transferable skills include:

• Good writing skills
• Public speaking
• Presentation skills
• Social media skills
• Event organisation and coordination
• Project management
• Creative thinking
• Problem-solving
• Team leadership
• Multilingual skills

(The list goes on and on, but you get the idea)

How the right transferable skills can help you stand out

Start by making a list of all the transferable skills you have. If you have problems identifying them, think about what you do on a daily basis and break down each of those tasks by the skills required to perform them.

Now you've got your list of transferable skills, you'll have to match the relevant ones to the job requirements for each application. Relevance is essential; recruiters don't want to be bombarded with information that doesn't add value to your application. That said, with a bit of creative paraphrasing, you can demonstrate how your skills will contribute to the job in question.

Take social media skills for example. You could say that spending hours on Facebook or Instagram is an unproductive use of time. OR you could highlight the fact that you've amassed thousands of followers on your Instagram account, proving that you know a thing or two about social media engagement. Similarly, if you've built a blog with thousands of subscribers, you've obviously found a content strategy that works for you. Employers will definitely sit up and take note when presented with these facts and figures.

The goal is to present your skills as valuable assets so recruiters have a reason to add your application to the shortlist pile.

Now that you have your list of transferable skills and know which to highlight for your next job application, how do you present them in a compelling manner in your resume? Find out inPart 2.