Transferable skills – that is, skills you’ve gained from activities
in any part of your life – are the building blocks of your career.
Having a full understanding of your abilities will is absolutely key to writing
your CV and application form. Most people have many more skills than they think!
Why is this important?
- Training a graduate is expensive! Employers need to be convinced that
you have a genuine aptitude for a job before they invest in you
- Employers measure aptitude by assessing your proven skills
Bear in mind that in any job employers will look for a variety of skills. A job
as a translator or a computer programmer, for example, requires specialist knowledge;
but you’ll also have to prove that you can deliver work to deadlines and get
along with others.
Build a skills chart
Remember – transferable skills can come from anywhere: sports, travel, work
experience, hobbies, voluntary or part-time work. Don’t underestimate your
accomplishments!
To use this skills chart, try to find a specific piece of evidence that supports
your claim to that particular skill.
For example: Teamwork
Can you work with other people, working towards a team goal rather than personal
glory? EVIDENCE: Volunteered at The Samaritans, working with team of 3 on overnight
telephone shift, which required us to support each other in very stressful situations
in order to offer consistent service to callers.
The list is by no means comprehensive, but it covers the types of ability many employers
look for.
- Team Work
Can you work with other people, working towards a team goal rather than personal
glory?
- Commercial awareness
Do you know what’s going on in your chosen industry? Can you spot a
lucrative business opportunity?
- Attention to detail
Is your work thoroughly checked without being late? Can your boss be confident that
what you’ve written is correct?
- Leadership
Can you delegate and motivate effectively?
- Time management
Can you prioritise your work and balance work and social life?
- Responsibility and reliability
Can you be trusted to take on important work from day one?
- Decision-making
Can you select the best course of action from multiple alternatives and justify your
decisions logically?
- Research and analysis
Can you find information and process it for difference purposes?
- Adaptability and flexibility
Are you thrown by changing circumstances or are you able to switch from one thing
to another?
More resources
- sort_it is a collection of interactive modules designed to increase
your ability to manage your career. You may find it useful to look at the Self Knowledge
section first to help you think carefully about your attributes, skills and interests.
www.careers.lon.ac.uk/sortit
- Prospects Planner is a job exploration tool which can help you find
out what motivates you in a job and identify your skills. www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pplanner
