Transferable skills are what all companies are looking for in a person, they make the employee stand out and stand a chance to be recruited or to interest employers.
According to flex jobs a job searching site, transferable skills are exactly what they sound like: the skills that you use in every job, no matter the title or the field. Some transferable skills are hard skills, like coding, data analysis, or other technical skills, and some are soft skills like communication and relationship building.
Any company would be lucky to land on an employee with just the right skills for their job.
However, upon hiring, all the employer has is your word as an employee that you are indeed capable and possess the skills displayed on your resume.
It is then your job as after being hired, to show off these skills for the employer to believe that they made the right choice hiring you.
Ange Uwineza, an employee in a local shipping company, says that if a person has been hired for a job, it is up to them to show off the transferable skills they showed on their resume. They can start by being confident enough to use them.
"If you said in your resume that you have great communication skills, begin by being active in meetings or interactions with fellow employees,” she says.
Yassin Karemera, a videographer, says that for people wanting to be hired or to switch jobs and want their transferable skills to give them a chance, they can include them in their resume and prove themselves in interviews.
According to life strategies, a New York bestseller, when it comes to interviews, promotions, or just work-life in general, we want to be able to show that our skills are valuable in a variety of contexts
They shared a few tips to help make those transferable skills stand out and speak for themselves:
Actions speak louder than words
Don’t just say you can do something, do it! Look for opportunities to demonstrate both your talents and your willingness to go beyond your job description. Take on extra projects, job shadow during your lunch breaks, and pitch in to help the organisation achieve its goals.
Reconstruct your resume
Avoid generic job descriptions and shopping lists of tasks and duties. Instead, use your valuable resume in real estate to set yourself apart. Highlight your unique contributions and accomplishments. Quantify your results. Target each resume to the specific employer’s needs and priorities.
Benchmark your skills
For each skill area, identify people who are exemplars and the skills that seem to come naturally to them. Compare your skill level to theirs, and notice your own strengths and areas to develop.
Identify gaps
In the jobs you hope to get, what skills will you need to thrive in the workplace? These may be technical, job-specific skills, or maybe a professional level of the transferable skills you already have. Claim the skills you have in place and clearly identify specific skills to further develop.
Prove it
Employers will want evidence that you can do what you say you can do. Gather work samples, testimonials, and reference letters.
Continue to learn
To stay fully engaged at work and in life, you’ll need to take on greater challenges and build your capacity to achieve them. Part of capacity building is skill development. Learning is lifelong.