How Transferable Skills Can Make Your Resume Stand Out

How Transferable Skills Can Make Your Resume Stand Out

It’s very rare to find a job description that perfectly matches your experience and skill set. While you should apply to jobs that more closely mirror your own career experience, you might come across a job that you really want that is a bit out of reach. Don’t pass it up right away! Instead, you should consider what transferable skills you have that make you a viable candidate for the position.

What Exactly are Transferable Skills?

Transferable skills are beneficial qualities for any job, from a labor-intense position to a C-level executive. They are attractive skills to any employer and are most often developed and nurtured through experience rather than formal schooling or training. While there are many transferable skills that are important or beneficial to employers, here are a few examples:

1. Leadership

An effective leader can motivate their team, through both good times and rough patches. They are able to set goals, delegate responsibilities, and they are decisive. They encourage collaboration, but they are able to stay focused and on task.

2. Time Management

With many jobs having a wide variety of responsibilities, being able to stay focused and be productive no matter how many distractions come your way is a huge skill. Demonstrate your ability to prioritize tasks so stay productive and complete projects on time.

3. Creativity

Much more than artwork, creativity can also mean the ability to think of unique solutions to problems. Employees who have the transferable skill of creativity have an enthusiasm that companies are looking for. New ways of thinking and approaching projects can be what helps a company become more successful through the development of new ideas, processes, products, or even structuring of daily business.

4. Budget Money

Regardless of which type of company you work for, they are running on a budget. Every company has expenses. Employers are always looking for someone who is capable of understanding the importance of staying on budget, or looking for ways to cut back on expenses while still delivering a high level of service.

How to Include Transferable Skills on Your Resume

Consider the transferable skills listed above and try your best to show these skills with quantifiable or specific examples on your resume. If you want to illustrate that you are a leader, how many workers did you lead or supervise? If you’re creative, what did you create and how did it help achieve success for the project or company?

You can also include these skills in a “Related Skills” section. This will highlight the skills directly and can be a helpful way to include them in your resume without breaking them down to specific roles at previous jobs.

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