First published: June 6, 2022 @ 6:00 pm
Most people are not born with all the transferable skills they need to succeed in their chosen field. As adults, we can improve our chances of succeeding by developing new skills and changing existing ones. You make some of these changes consciously, while you make others subconsciously.
This article explores ways to identify the transferable skills that may apply to your life goals. By doing so, you can become more skilled at applying them in your new career.
What Are Transferable Skills?
In its broadest sense, transferable skills are any skills that allow you to succeed in different settings and circumstances.
They include both cognitive (such as memory, reasoning, and problem-solving) and behavioral (such as communication, leadership, and organizational) skills.
To develop them, you must have the willingness to apply effort toward their improvement. This can be difficult if your job does not provide the opportunities for growth you would like it to.
If you are changing careers, it is more likely you will develop transferable skills related to your new work.
You can develop skills related to your previous work or career path. The key is to identify the ones that will help you succeed in your new role.
Why Are They Important?
Transferable skills are important because they can increase your chances of success in any career or line of work.
But many other factors also contribute to success, including personal qualities such as creativity and ambition, ability to work well with others, and ability to manage and prioritize tasks.
Many people focus on these characteristics when looking for a job or choosing a career path, but many people overlook the fact that they may be less useful if you do not combine them with transferable skills.
For example, although having a wonderful personality is useful in most jobs, it may not help you get a promotion if you have no experience managing projects or leading others effectively.
Although some of these traits are not likely to change much as you progress through life—such as your intelligence, temperament, and the ability to manage people—you can improve many of them through training and experience.
How Do You Identify Transferable Skills?
Identifying transferable skills is not always easy. It may require a period of reflection and self-analysis, as well as knowledge of other aspects of your personality that may not have been relevant to your previous career.
Some people find it easier to identify their current skills than their transferable skills because they are aware of how they use them in their current roles.
Others find it easier to identify their transferable skills because they are aware of how they use them in other roles or activities outside work.
In either case, you will need to determine what kind of training you need to improve the skills that are relevant to your new role. Once you have identified these areas, consider the following questions:
- How do you apply the skills you already have?
- How can you use these skills in a new role?
- What skills do you need to develop?
You may improve your transferable skills by learning new things, but if this is not possible, it may be more useful to develop other skills that apply to your new role.
For example, if you are applying for a job as a doctor, it would be more useful to improve your interpersonal skills first before your leadership skills.
Once you have identified the transferable skills that will help you succeed in your new role, consider the following questions:
- How do these skills relate to the core competencies that employers look for in their employees?
- What kind of training will be required for these skills to become second nature?
- How can you improve these skills?
- What do you need to learn to become more skilled at applying these skills?
- Which transferable skills will be most useful for your new role?
- Do you have any other areas of your life that could apply to your career change?
After considering these questions, you should be able to identify which skills are most relevant to your new role.
Succeed Wherever You Are
Transferable skills are important because they can increase your chances of success in any career or line of work.
But many other factors also contribute to success, including personal qualities such as creativity and ambition, ability to work well with others, and ability to manage and prioritize tasks.
Many people focus on these characteristics when looking for a job or choosing a career path, but many people overlook the fact that they may be less useful if you do not combine them with transferable skills.
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