iMPact Business Group is a staffing agency specializing in Information Technology, Engineering, Finance/Accounting and Business Administration/Process positions. To connect with one of our professional recruiters, view our job board for all available positions or submit your resume for consideration here.
In this podcast we talk to iMPact’s owner Matt Peal about transferable skills as well as other tips for how to successfully changing careers.
What are transferable skills?
We all have different skills sets that employers are looking for in a potential candidate. Transferable skills are skills that don’t belong to a specific industry, niche or job. They’re skills you can bring from one job role to and industry to another. With job markets changing rapidly, if you’re a job seeker who is changing careers and seeking opportunities, you need to not just ask yourself what you’ve already done, but with the skills they’ve acquired, what else could you do? Transferable skills come in two main categories. Hard skills are measurable skills such as ability to use computer programs, technical certifications or speaking another language. Soft skills are different skills and abilities that can be applied in any job such as people skills, leadership skills or organization. If you are trying to determine what some of your transferable skills are, according to Forbes here are the Top 7 transferable skills people put on a resume:
- Technical
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Multitasking
- Teamwork
- Creativity
- Leadership
How to identify transferable skills
It can be tricky to identify transferable skills and there are several different ways to do it. Start writing down all the skills you have that can think of. If you need help, there are many different skills tests to take online. O*NET Online offers a free tool to help identify skills as well. For example if you worked at a front desk helping customers, you can list skills such as customer service and communication.
Look over some of the jobs you are interested in applying for and write down some of the key skills mentioned in the job descriptions. Once you have these skills identified, start matching them up with your own skills. For example, if the jobs you are interested in are seeking candidates with management skills, and in your previous jobs you have overseen or directed others, mention that on your resume. Or if for example you held team meetings and created schedules, those skills are applicable both to leadership and teamwork. Write down all the different types of experience and skills you’ve acquired in previous jobs, volunteering and so on, and match them up with the skills employers are looking for.
Â
How to explain transferable skills
Now that you’ve identified your transferable skills and how they match up to what employers are looking for, the other tricky part is trying to explain them to an employer who may or may not be familiar with other industries you’ve worked in, and how those skills will be a valuable asset to the new job role you’re applying for.
In your cover letter, explain how the different transferable skills you’ve developed match the skills the employer is looking for in the job description, and why they are important for that job role. For your resume, include and highlight your transferable skills. In addition to citing examples of your career achievements, also highlight that you were able to learn new skills on the job. This will show a potential employer that you’re able to quickly learn new skills as needed and produce successful results.
If you know someone who’s doing or has familiarity with the type of job role you’re interested in, or works for a company you’d like to specifically work for, ask them more in detail what they do and what skills they think are important. Also share what you have done and skills you’ve acquired to see if they can help you connect some dots between your previous work history and what you’re looking to do.
How can a recruiter help?
Recruiters are in direct contact with the hiring managers and have an in-depth understanding of the job role, corporate culture and what type of candidates are successful at a company. A recruiter will be able to help assess your skills and how they align with a particular job opening and can tell you if your skills align with what the employer is looking for. Recruiters will also take the time to get to know more about your work-history and help you revise your resume if needed to make sure the right transferable skills are highlighted before presenting your application to the employer. If you’re changing careers, this can be incredibly valuable since your recruiter will already have an established relationship with the hiring manager and will be able to vouch for you on your behalf and present you to the employer in a way that you would not have been able to do by applying on your own.
Before we start working with a client, we will research them, have in-depth conversations with their hiring team and visit their facilities to get to know them and what makes a candidate successful in their company culture. To connect with a recruiter and find out about our currently available opportunities in Information Technology, Accounting/Finance, Engineering and Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board to view all available job opportunities. Or, submit your resume here for consideration to connect with one of our experienced recruiters in either our Grand Rapids, Michigan or Tampa, Florida location.
