Host Sheila Boysen-Rotelli is explaining why transferable skills give you more freedom and creativity in your job search. Everyone has them. It just takes a little bit of self-reflection to realize what your transferable skills are!
Episode Highlights:
- There's a ton of value in taking time to understand transferable skills and what yours actually are
- Transferable skills come into play when you're looking for a new job or to transition within the same company
- Don't be the person that gets in your own way and tells yourself "no" before someone else has the chance
- Everything starts in our own head, so having the right mindset is vital to take on new assignments
- Attacking our own self-confidence and skills takes us out of an opportunity that could help us develop additional skills
- If people could recognize their transferable skills, they would work at jobs that they truly enjoy
- Come up with a simple mantra, such as "I can do anything"
- Many people make the mistake of thinking that they just don't have any transferable skills
- Define your transferable skills that relate to the job that you have your eye on
- Tailor your resume to the specific job that you are applying to by highlighting your relevant transferable skills
- Make a list of all of your skills in management, research, technical, relationship, and any other segments
- Freely brainstorm every skill no matter how small or insignificant you might think they are
- Use past performance reviews and people that you've worked closely with to see what skills of yours that others have appreciated
- Self-reflection takes time and work, but it will serve you very well for years to come
- Organize your list however you would like, but Sheila suggests these 3 sections
- Communication: Speaking effectively, building consensus amongst groups, negotiating, developing rapport, etc.
- Organizing/Planning: Forecasting, analyzing alternatives, managing budgets, meeting deadlines, etc.
- Operational/Technical skills: Building something, software/hardware skills, specific knowledge, hard skills, etc.
- Think through each skill in order to understand how transferable each one
- Is it something that can be applied in a different job or environment?
- How can it be applied in a different job or environment?
- Come up with a measurable accomplishment of your own that relates to that transferable skill
- There are a variety of ways to use your transferable skills to get the job that you want
- Networking events are a great time to explain to people what you want to be doing in your next opportunity
- During an interview, focus on how you have used your transferable skills in specific situations in your past jobs
3 Key Points:
- It takes a growth mindset to take skills that you have learned in the past and transfer them into something new.
- When you define and practice your transferable skills, it's a great time to update your resume and tailor it to the specific job that you are applying to.
- Transferable skills can be acquired through a multitude of avenues, such as on-the-job experience, volunteering, and hobbies that you enjoy during your free time.
Tweetable Quotes:
- "A lot of times, we're the first person to tell ourselves 'no.'" - Sheila Boysen-Rotelli
- "If you think you can do a thing, or think you can't do a thing, you are right." - Henry Ford
- "Transferable skills, most basically, are any talents or abilities that you have that can be used in many different jobs or career paths." - Sheila Boysen-Rotelli
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