One of the toughest parts about leaving a job is the sinking feeling that you have to “start over.” Like a losing Chutes and Ladders turn, you see yourself sliding back to square one – a new boss, a new set of colleagues, a new adjustment period. You worry that your resume is limited, that potential employers won’t recognize your abilities, that you’ll have to prove yourself all over again.
Luckily, you’ve got transferable skills. Transferable skills are the strengths and capacities we all accumulate through various jobs, classes, and life experiences. Unlike task-specific skills – the ability to take medical x-rays, or operate a forklift, for example – transferable skills are portable. They have relevance across a spectrum of workplaces and careers.
Understandably then, transferable skills are a major asset. Employers are always looking for well-rounded candidates. In this economy especially, hiring managers are eager to fill their positions with thoroughly capable people – workers who meet the required skill set, plus bring something extra. And whether we realize it or not, most of us have a ready supply of “something extra.” The good work habits we possess and perform automatically are big selling points. You can use these skills to your advantage if you can identify exactly what they are, and how they can be applied in new roles.
Step one is to make a list of your workplace roles and habits. This might sound silly, but it actually works. Write down everything you do in a given day – from preparing the office’s first pot of coffee, to shutting off the lights on your way out the door. Not sure if an activity represents a skill, per say? Write it down anyway. The things we do habitually can often be traced back to an attribute that says something important about who we are. Logging on to ESPN every morning might not be considered a job skill, but if you read about sports so you can talk about them with your coworkers, the behavior proves you’re a social person with some ability to research and assimilate data and opinions.
Step two involves comparing yourself. How do you fit within the company culture? What did your predecessor do differently? Take note of how you spend your time, as compared to others at your office (or in your personal life), who are somewhat less effective. By making these comparisons, you’ll often be able to isolate your successful traits.
Step three asks you to look beyond your immediate role. Write down the things you do for your employer that don’t fall within your job description. These items can be the best examples of areas where you excel, usually because they come most naturally. Maybe, for example, you always volunteer to collect a lunch order for your coworkers. A lot of people would avoid this chore like the plague. Your willingness to handle the project speaks to your organizational abilities, your team spirit, and your capacity to perform quickly – not to mention under pressure. (There’s no greater pressure than a break room full of hungry people!)
As trivial as these examples may sound, remember they’re just small scale illustrations of your transferable skills. The same qualities can shine in bigger and brighter ways, when focused on major presentations or project initiatives. And you can frame them this way on your resume and at interviews.
Elizabeth O'Neill is earning an MFA in Creative Writing. She is a contributing writer at eLearners.com and GradSchools.com.
7 comment(s)
William McCarey On Tuesday, November 03 2009
Nice article, but a little weak. I think transferable skills like work ethic (always starting an hour early, ending in the evening), mentoring (helping colleagues and managers in assignments and professional challenges), learning curve (quickly teaching yourself job skills such as a new software program), cultural diversity (calling Asia at 7pm most evenings, talking to Germany at 6am, helping with their status reports), tackling ambiguous assignments and turning them into structured projects. These I think are better transferable skills than filling lunch orders.
Ronnie Chad Shirley On Sunday, December 06 2009
I AM THE HERO
Chad Shirley
His journey began in a small town in Georgia with one red light in 1973. He was the eldest son of the town’s Baptist minister and his wife. They knew that their son was special at birth; they loved him as much as possible. They hoped to give him a life with less pain and suffering, as well as a life filled with more unconditional love than they received from their parents. He could see their pain caused from their journey. His parents tried desperately to give this little boy unconditional love, but they, too, loved him conditionally as their parents had loved them.
The Hero was given at birth the gift of empathy. His brain could mimic other’s emotions. On his life journey he becomes aware that his strengths are also his weaknesses. Empathy as a strength connects the Hero to people; others could feel and sense his integrity. Empathy as a weakness causes the Hero to take emotions of others as his own emotions. Learning to set boundaries is crucial for his survival. This explains why he grew up feeling he was separate and alone, needing love, affection, and approval. He felt he was unworthy of unconditional love. At the young age of six, he became aware that he was not like the others. He could not define it at the time, but he understood clearly that he was different. He felt he could not trust the world around him for it was against him.
The Hero was given the name Chad which translates in Hebrew as “the warrior”. He made a commitment to himself and to his God to continue his promise to live his life loving his God with all his heart, soul, and mind without the conditions that were placed on him on earth.
That night a beautiful, magical Camel arrived in silver armor. He told the Hero that he was sent to help protect him from thoughts that support self hate (protect him from feeling) that he was separate, unworthy, and unable to trust. The Camel had a bag of tricks. He reached deep inside this purple bag and pulled out all kinds of different masks—magical masks. Putting a mask on, the Hero could take the identity or role of the mask while hiding his true self from others. The Camel explained to the Hero that he will need to wear many masks throughout his quest.
Also, the Camel taught the Hero how to take his fears and place them so deep in his subconscious mind that he would not even remember the pain, much less where he placed them. The Hero did not realize that these core beliefs hidden in his subconscious would cleverly disguise themselves in his thoughts keeping him unaware that his negative core beliefs exist. The Hero was unaware at that time that his thoughts, whether conscious or subconscious, would manifest themselves in the Hero’s reality.
One rainy afternoon, at the age of 21, the Hero found himself bent over on his knees from being in so much agony. His need for integrity-the need to be open and honest with others was taking a physical toll on his body. The pain of self denial had built up in the little Hero for 15 years. With all the strength the Hero could summon, he stood up, walked to the mirror, and looked himself in the eyes. Finally, he confronted himself audibly about his deepest denial.
That night he was awakened by the magnificent Lion. The Hero’s zodiac sign was that of Leo and he naturally felt at one with the Lion. The Hero sat up in his bed as the Lion taught him strategies for protecting himself against the enemy. The Hero, at that time, did not realize that the enemy was not outside of him but within himself.
The Lion told him that he had all the courage he would need, for it was placed in his heart for his journey. “As you continue your quest, your heart will speak its truth. Be true to yourself. This, my friend, is the great integrity from which all things are created. When you hear this voice speak, guard yourself f
eTrainer On Thursday, September 09 2010
As the article suggests, we have skills that we take for granted because we do them every day. When we become aware of what we actually do and how we do what we do, it's amazing how rich our world can become. Transferrable skills are also skills we use every day, such as communication, negotiating and conflict resolution skills, or time management skills. When you analyze how you do what you do, you become aware of a wealth of skills that were "just normal" to you before.
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