TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Yazid
 Definition
• Put to rest your fear that you will have to
leave your current skills behind if you quit
your job or change careers. You will be able to
take many of them with you in the form of
transferable skills. These are the talents and
abilities that can travel with you when you
make a transition to a new job or career.
 6 Areas of Transferable Skills
• Below are 87 common transferable skills
divided into six broad categories: Basic,
People, Management, Clerical, Research and
Planning, and Computer and Technical Skills.
Also included are some skills that are
particular to specific occupations. These are
called hard skills.
 1. Basic Skills:
a) Use listening skills to understand oral instructions
b) Learn new procedures
c) Understand and carry out written instructions
d) Orally convey information to others
e) Observe and assess your own and others'
performances
f) Communicate in writing
g) Use mathematical processes to solve problems
h) Speak in public
i) Demonstrate professionalism
 2. People Skills:
 Provide constructive criticism
 Receive feedback
 Coordinate actions with other
people's actions
 Negotiate, persuade, and
influence people
 Motivate others
 Handle complaints
 Train or teach new skills
 Delegate work
 Oversee others' work
 Perform outreach
 Counsel people
 Build strong customer
relationships
 Collaborate with others
 Mentor less experienced
colleagues
 Resolve conflicts
 Develop relationships with
suppliers
 Demonstrate comfort when
dealing with all people
 Gain clients' or customers'
confidence
 3. Management Skills:
 Oversee budgets
 Recruit personnel
 Review resumes
 Interview job candidates
 Select new hires
 Supervise employees
 Allocate resources such as equipment, materials, and
facilities
 Schedule personnel
 Preside over meetings
 Negotiate contracts
 Evaluate employees
 Organize committees
 4. Clerical Skills
 Perform general clerical and administrative support tasks
 Design forms, correspondence, and reports
 Manage records
 Take minutes at meetings
 Use word processing software
 Use database management software
 Use spreadsheet software
 Use desktop publishing software
 Use presentation software
 Perform data entry
 Keep track of accounts receivable, accounts payable, billing, and
other bookkeeping tasks
 Screen telephone calls
 Greet visitors
 5. Research and Planning Skills:
 Identify and present problems to upper
management
 Anticipate and prevent problems from
occurring or reoccurring
 Use critical thinking skills to make
decisions or evaluate possible solutions
to problems
 Solve problems
 Deal with unexpected situations
 Define organization's or department's
needs
 Set goals
 Prioritize tasks
 Locate and reach out to suppliers or sub-
contractors
 Analyze information and forecast results
 Manage your time and meet deadlines
 Plan and implement events and
activities
 Create and implement new policies and
procedures
 Develop a budget
 Coordinate and develop programs
 Document procedures and results
 Produce reports
 Conduct research using the Internet
and library resources
 Generate ideas
 Implement new strategies
 6. Computer and Technical Skills:
o Use computer software that is related to job
o Use job-related equipment and machinery
o Install software on computers
o Use the Internet, including email and search engines
o Use office equipment such as printers, copiers and fax
machines
o Troubleshoot problems with hardware and software
o Install equipment
o Troubleshoot problems with and repair equipment
o Maintain equipment
o Inspect equipment to identify problems
 Additional skills:
A. Demonstrate fluency or working knowledge of
a foreign language
B. Demonstrate fluency or working knowledge of
sign language
C. Fundraise
D. Write grants
E. Design websites
 What Are Your Transferable Skills?
1. Write a complete list of your transferable skills.
2. Choose only the ones that match your skillset. It is
likely you also have other skills that haven't been
included here, for example, the hard or technical skills
that are specific to your area of expertise.

3. Assess your marketability to potential employers. One

simple way to do this is to find announcements for
jobs in which you would be interested.
4. Compare your qualifications to those listed in them.
Do you have the skills those employers are seeking?
Are there any gaps you will need to address by getting
additional training, education, and experience?