7 TRANSFER SKILLS FOR A FUTURE JOB A skill is something you can do well. An employer expects that you have skills that benefit the job. Knowing what skills you possess is at the core of a successful job search. Skills mapping helps you to consider a job or experience in terms of what you gained and learned instead of focusing only on what you did. It helps you prioritize the most meaningful skills for the job you are considering. MARKET YOUR SKILLS Having a degree doesn’t guarantee that you will have a job. Remember to always find the best way to present what you have to offer. Your ultimate goal is to successfully combine your skills, experiences, education, training and personality traits into a package that employers are seeking. Your skills will get you the job if you market them successfully! The following are some of the tools that will help: RESUME Your resume showcases your transferable skills. You can emphasize your many skills and elaborate on how you used them. You can give examples from past paid jobs, internships, volunteer work or other experiences to showcase these skills. If you are doing a chronological resume, you can use transferable skills to highlight what you gained from individual experiences. COVER LETTER Transferable skills can be highlighted in a cover letter to market the skills you have to offer to an employer. A cover letter provides an opportunity to focus a potential employer on the skills and details that might not have been included on a resume. A cover letter also gives you an opportunity to compare the skills required for the position to the skills you possess. Remember to research the company you’re applying to before crafting your cover letter. This will help you select the skills to highlight in your cover letter. INTERVIEW An interview is the best time for you to showcase your skills. Be prepared to describe your responsibilities, how you contributed and what you gained from your relevant experiences. Remember, communication skills can be demonstrated during the interview as you express your thoughts and connect with the interviewer. Researching the company and the position will also help guide your interviewing responses to reflect the keywords and industry language an employer is looking to hear. EXAMPLES OF MARKETING TRANSFERABLE SKILLS RETAIL ASSOCIATE APPLYING FOR TEACHER’S AIDE POSITION As a sales associate in a retail store, I successfully handled customers’ needs every day. To succeed, I had to be a patient and diplomatic problem solver. Because the same kind of patience and creative problem solving are required from teachers, I am confident I will be an effective third grade teacher’s aide at your school. TELEMARKETER SEEKING POSITION IN HOSPITALITY My work as a telemarketer required me to communicate with an array of people, some of whom posed difficult challenges. I honed my communication skills to the point where I was almost always able to solve problems and promote customer satisfaction. These are exactly the skills that are vital for employment in the hospitality industry. SYSTEMS ANALYST APPLYING TO BE A PROJECT MANAGER My extensive experience analyzing user requirements and developing procedures for all departments resulted in improved computer systems throughout my organization. Maintaining detailed reports, collaborating with the management team and determining support necessary for successful project completion are all tasks I am familiar with that would help me directly contribute to your organization.
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