Individuals who aim to switch careers and step into a different profession include transferable skills in their CVs. So, if you are planning to switch careers, this is your sign to leap of faith, and that takes a lot of encouragement.
Hence, whether you are a fresh graduate or aim to switch your career, the best way to stand out in the job market is to make the most of transferable skills. In addition, it can aid in convincing the hiring managers and land your dream job.
Okay, but what exactly are transferable skills? How to use them in a resume to get your dream job? If you are also wondering this, read this guide till the end and get your answers in detail.
What are Transferable Skills?
Peter Kearns (2011) defines transferable skills as those skills that are “essential for employability, which are relevant at different levels for most (Source Researchgate).
Regarding employment, these skills are developed through job experience, volunteering, education, and everyday life. In addition, they are a source to work in a new space and adapt to the norms.
Since these skills are not tied to be workable in any specific job role, they are best suited to switch jobs or careers.
For example, if you possess time management or problem-solving skills, you can highlight them for every role. In addition, it aids in impressing the hiring managers and landing a dream job.
I know it sounds fun to add them to a CV. However, before you jump into it, you must first know some examples of transferable skills. So, read the section below to find out!
Examples of Transferable Skills
We’ll be discussing some examples of transferable skills in this section. However, it’s not necessary to include only these. Instead, you must read the job description and decide accordingly.
- Communication: Strong communication skills are important for almost every job role. It shows that a person knows how to ask questions, how to read body language, and talk to people in every context. In addition, it includes active listening, verbal communication, public speaking, etc.
- Organization: A well-organized individual is often preferred by hiring managers. Additionally, they completely understand their responsibility and come up with the best solutions. These include active listening, time management, budgeting, etc.
- Adaptability: These skills aid to adjust in new spaces, changing actions when needed, and handling various challenges. In addition, these include personal adaptability, emotional adaptability, and more.
- Leadership: Taking up responsibilities and leading others is a vital skill. Anyone who aims to apply for a senior-level position must have and include this in their CVs. It involves team building, project management, and others.
So, these were examples of transferable skills for this guide. However, the list continues. Now, let’s move forward to the next heading and find out how to add them to a CV.
How to Highlight Transferable Skills in a CV
Okay, so if you have gathered all the important personal information to add to a CV, let’s now know how to adjust these skills in your CV sections.
Work experience
This section holds the greatest importance in a CV. Therefore, you must incorporate the most relevant and suitable skill here as it will be noticed by the hiring managers.
For example, if the job role you are applying for requires strong communication as a priority. Be sure to discuss your professional experience while highlighting that you possess strong communication skills.
Pro tip:
Since this is the essential section of a CV, you cannot make any mistakes. Thus, if you feel any difficulty writing it, connect with Perfect CV Maker and get the best possible assistance from experts.
Education
Your educational years contribute to helping you learn various skills. In addition, you can discuss most of them while explaining this section.
For example, you can add teamwork or leadership skills by discussing an academic project that you have led or have worked on in a group.
Skills
A CV also has a separate section to discuss all the skills. Make the most of it as you can discuss everything here. However, be sure to avoid adding any irrelevant skills that might not aid in impressing the hiring managers, and it will just take up extra space.
Thus, understand the job role first and read the requirements. In addition, make a list of transferable skills you possess and pick the most relevant ones.
Final Words
Writing a CV, especially for a career change for a fresh graduate, can be hard. They often struggle to impress the hiring managers and stand out from the competition.
Therefore, they look for several ways to improve the quality of their CV. For that, the best way around is to add transferable skills.
These are preferable as they can help in getting a job for several professions. In addition, these can be communication, teamwork, adaptability, organization, decision-making, and more.
The catch is to understand the job role and requirement, and then decide what skills will be suitable to add. Lastly, you can also seek help from experts if you ever get stuck at any point.
