The workforce is changing
Transferable skills are becoming increasingly important in today's workforce. Why you might ask? Technology has a big part to play in this as entire industries are disrupted, leaving many workers with the daunting prospect of a career change.
But when facing a career change most people hope not the start from scratch, and so usually tap into their existing skills which are relevant to the future positions. You'll notice a common thread in our featured Career Change Stories, and that is that most of the people were surprised as to how transferable their skills were from one job to another.
We've had great feedback from our clients about these stories, and encourage you to spend some time reading them.
But when facing a career change most people hope not the start from scratch, and so usually tap into their existing skills which are relevant to the future positions. You'll notice a common thread in our featured Career Change Stories, and that is that most of the people were surprised as to how transferable their skills were from one job to another.
We've had great feedback from our clients about these stories, and encourage you to spend some time reading them.
wHAT ARE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS?
"Transferable skills are a core set of skills and abilities that transcend any particular organisation or role. If you’ve got great interpersonal skills, for example, you will prosper whether you’re an intern or a senior executive, a carpenter or a customer service representative." Source - Seek
There are many lists of Transferable Skills available, but two of the best are the Foundation for Young Australia's (FYA) and the World Economic Forum (WEF)
There are many lists of Transferable Skills available, but two of the best are the Foundation for Young Australia's (FYA) and the World Economic Forum (WEF)
Specific skills for specific industries
Once you read the FYA's The New Basics Report, you will realise that the Enterprise skills they list are pretty general, as the research they conducted covered so many industries. Your best source of information for requirements for specific positions is to look at job boards (such as SEEK) and read position descriptions to try and determine common trends.
Once you identify these common skills for your industry you should make sure these skills are clearly presented on your resume, either as responsibilities of prior positions, as competencies or elsewhere in your application.
Once you identify these common skills for your industry you should make sure these skills are clearly presented on your resume, either as responsibilities of prior positions, as competencies or elsewhere in your application.
TAFE NSW has developed a great set of resources which provide a clear snapshot into a range of industries and the skills each requires.