Identifying Transferable Skills
Transferable Skills
- WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
- 57% of job seekers aren’t confident in their ability to identify their transferable skills.
- 50% of job seekers don’t know how to convey their soft skills or hard skills in a cover letter or resume.
- Are you one of them?
- WHAT ARE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS?
- They are skills that you use in every job, no matter the title or the field. Some transferable skills are “hard skills” (e.g., data analysis, typing speed, a foreign language). Some transferable skills are soft skills (self-control, empathy, assertiveness).
- Think of transferable skills as part of your career tool belt.
- Every worker gains transferable skills from each career experience including part-time jobs, volunteering, internships, conferences, full-time jobs and student organizations.
- WHAT SOFT SKILLS AND QUALITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO EMPLOYERS?
According to the 2021 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook Survey, the top 10 qualities/skills employers seek are transferable skills:
- Ability to work in a team: 81%
- Problem-solving skills: 79%
- Analytical/quantitative skills: 76.1%
- Verbal communication skills: 73.2%
- Written communication skills: 72.7%
- Initiative: 67.8%
- Leadership: 67.8%
- Technical skills: 67.8%
- Flexibility / adaptability: 65.9%
- Strong work ethic: 65.4%
- OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP SKILLS AT MARQUETTE
Leadership
- Group project work
- Mentoring
- Part-time jobs
- Recreational sports teams
- Student organization leadership roles
- Volunteering
Communication
- Class participation
- Emailing instructors
- Group project work
- Interview prep from the Career Services Center
- Making friends
- Mentoring
- Presentations
- Recreational sports teams
- Student organizations
- Volunteering
- Writing essays and exams
Problem Solving
- Internships
- Part-time jobs
- Problem-based learning
- Student organization leadership roles
- Study abroad
- Volunteering
- Working out roommate issues
Time Management
- Balancing academics and extracurriculars
- Commuting
- Effective use of free time
- Meeting deadlines
- Part-time jobs
- Prioritizing your coursework
- Studying for midterms and final exams
Teamwork
- Event planning
- Group project work
- Internships
- Part-time jobs
- Recreational sports teams
- Student organizations
- Volunteering
- IDENTIFY YOUR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Try this exercise to identify your transferable skills.