Transferable Skills: Definition and Examples for a Resume

If you are talented at communicating with others, you likely use that ability both on the job and in your personal life, meaning you can transfer that skill from situation to situation. This guide will help you understand and identify your transferable job skills. Read on for examples of transferable skills and the best ways to display them on your resume.

Understanding Transferable Skills

What are transferable skills?

Transferable skills can be applied in multiple jobs and contexts. Most positions require a mix of transferable skills, specific job skills, plus industry knowledge. For example, airline pilots must know how to fly aircraft and understand Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations (specific job skills and industry knowledge). They must also have transferable skills like thinking critically and working well under pressure.

Transferable skills are either hard (technical), such as data analysis, spreadsheet creation, and Microsoft Office proficiency, or soft, such as creativity, leadership, writing, solution-finding, and relationship-building.

Importance of transferable skills

Read any job posting, and you’ll see that, in addition to specific knowledge and skills required, the employer outlines general skills they desire. These include collaboration, creative solution-finding, and multitasking because both types of skills are critical to performing that job well.

If you are a new graduate or a professional seeking a career change, it’s especially important to take stock of and promote your transferable skills. A recent NACE survey suggests students’ attributes and skills, developed in classwork and various experiential assignments, are now even more important to employers than grades.

Identifying Your Transferable Skills

Assessing your current skills

To assess your skills, compare a sample list of both hard and soft skills with each job or role you’ve held. Note the ones you used in each role. Reviewing past job descriptions and performance reviews is another effective way of recognizing your skills. If colleagues and supervisors have consistently complimented you on certain abilities, consider them strengths also.

Categories of transferable skills

Communication skills

Making yourself easily understood when interfacing with customers, supervisors, and colleagues. Tailoring your message to a particular audience. Speaking with adequate voice volume. Actively listening to others’ comments and questions. These abilities are vital to success in any job, whether you are a restaurant server or a chief executive officer.

Leadership and management skills

Proficiencies in influencing others and managing people, money, and operations to achieve certain outcomes are in high demand across all industries.

Analytical and research skills

Gathering information, analyzing and using it to make impactful decisions benefits your organization’s productivity and success. The ability to think through and solve problems is necessary in any job.

Technical skills

Analyzing data, designing an app using programming languages, and marketing services using social media are technical skills that may transfer from one job or industry to another.

Organizational skills

The ability to organize work, yours or an entire team’s, to meet a goal indicates that you can prioritize and delegate responsibilities, manage time, and coordinate resources. It applies especially in project management and administration positions.

Showcasing Transferable Skills on Your Resume

Incorporating skills into your resume

List your transferable skills under the skills section on your resume. Tailor the list to show your skills that match the job posting.

Just as important is demonstrating how you have used these skills in your individual work or volunteer experiences. Use action verbs, show the results of your actions, and quantify your achievements with data and numbers whenever possible.

Examples of effective bullet points

Using a skills-based resume format

A functional or skills-based resume groups your skill sets and allows you to elaborate on how you applied them in various work settings. If you want to change careers, this type of resume can be helpful in showcasing your transferable skills.

Industry-specific examples

Tech industry

Transferable skills relevant to tech roles include team leadership, programming languages, project management, Agile methodologies, artificial intelligence, and database management.

See: Example resumes for tech positions

Health care industry

Key transferable skills in health care include teamwork, patient relations, case management, HIPAA knowledge, and electronic medical records.

See: Example resumes for health care positions

Certified Nursing Assistant

Medical Assistant

Nursing

Finance industry

Transferable skills applicable in finance include critical thinking, data analysis, data visualization, modeling, Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and Tableau.

See: Example resumes for finance roles

Creative industry

Skills that transfer well in creative fields are creative resolving of issues, design thinking, presentation, and project management.

See: Example resumes for creative positions

Education industry

Important transferable skills for education professionals include curriculum development, instructional design, virtual instruction, classroom management, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), time management, and creative thinking.

See: Example resumes for teaching and administrative roles

Tips for Enhancing Transferable Skills

Continuous learning and development

Employer needs change quickly, and even 20 years of experience won’t provide job security if your skills are not relevant. Keep your skills up to date to ensure your value in the job market.

Consider any new assignment or project the opportunity to develop new or hone existing abilities. Read job postings regularly to see what skills are most in demand in your field. Then take advantage of company training or online courses offered through Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, or your professional association.

Attending professional conferences and regularly talking with others in your field will help you stay aware of current trends. Ask mentors for feedback on areas in which you can develop.

The more transferable skills you master, the more attractive you will be as a job candidate. Use these tips and examples to develop, maintain, and highlight your transferable skills effectively. Easily create a resume showcasing your expertise with these downloadable templates.

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.