Whether you’ve stayed working in the same career for a very long time or have tried out different fields of work, you have likely developed several professional skills. Some of the skills might be specific to the jobs that you’ve done such as using certain tools or platforms, while others are transferable skills that are sought-after in almost any career field, like strong relationship-building and communication skills.
Some transferable skills are ‘hard’ skills such as data analysis and coding, while others are ‘soft skills like critical thinking or communication. Transferable soft skills are what every worker gains from their career experiences and they can be used in any professional setting. The following transferable skills are desirable in almost every career environment.
Problem Solving
Strong problem-solving skills not only help you identify that there’s a problem, to begin with, but you can also use them to figure out what is causing the problem and find a way to put a solution in place.
Today’s employers are looking for employees who are highly skilled at problem-solving and are able to offer creative solutions. Being able to identify issues such as process inefficiencies or bottlenecks will be appreciated, but your ability to bring new solutions to the table will get you noticed.
Critical Thinking
Being able to think critically is one of the top skills that employers are looking for in almost every industry today. Critical thinking is the ability to interpret and evaluate information to make a judgment, choose an action to take, or come to a conclusion.
Employees who are able to look at the evidence and critically evaluate it to determine whether the information is more fact or opinion before using it to back a decision up are appreciated in the workplace.
Leadership
Good leadership skills go much further beyond the ability to manage and supervise a team. An employee who demonstrates good leadership skills will have the ability to take the lead on the project and influence the team to follow through and accomplish the shared team goals.
Leadership skills are sought after in all employees, not just management candidates, and it is a skill that is made up of several different transferable skills including strong relationship-building, problem-solving, and communication abilities. Working on your leadership skills is key if you are considering an online DNP program from a school like Baylor University to work as a nurse leader.
Teamwork
Along with having strong leadership skills, employers like employees are also able to demonstrate that they can work well as part of a strong team. Being on the team and being a part of the team are often two very different things.
Employers are looking for employees who don’t just show up but are invested in helping the team accomplish its goals and working together. They appreciate employees who are true team players and who are dedicated to making positive contributions to the group to achieve success.
Listening
Active listening skills in particular are a key transferable skill that cannot be ignored in the majority of workplaces today, especially if you want to get into a managerial or supervisory position. You will need to have a strong ability to listen and truly understand what the other party is saying in order to resolve team conflicts and solve problems for employees or clients.
If you’re not a good listener or do not employ active listening skills and listen to respond rather than to understand, you may not truly understand what the speaker is telling you.
Communication
Communication skills are a transferable skill in almost every workplace setting since every type of job will require some kind of communication. Your communication skills refer to your ability to share information and ideas in a way that is clear, concise, and easy for the listener to understand.
Being able to communicate efficiently and effectively is more important in some jobs than others, especially in industries such as healthcare or engineering, where miscommunications can lead to huge mistakes and even endanger lives.
Creativity
Being creative isn’t always about being artistic unless that’s relevant to your work role. Creativity can also be a skill that you put to use in the way that you approach problems and tasks.
Many companies are looking for employees that are able to think outside of the box and challenge things, coming up with new, fresh ways to do things that work better for the company.
If you are always looking for new and creative ways to do things, whether it’s a way to make tasks easier or quicker or a way to connect with customers and clients, being able to find novel solutions to the problems that you face is a highly desirable transferable skill.
Relationship Building
Whether it’s your colleagues or your clients, building relationships with others is the key to any successful company. Without the ability to build good relationships with clients, between colleagues and departments, the business would not last for very long.
People who are skilled at building relationships with others tend to be highly sought-after in a wide range of industries since they tend to be excellent at managing conflict, coming up with solutions for differing goals, and working together as a team.
Adaptability
Many roles are subject to change and evolution. After working in a role for a while, you might find that a lot of things have changed since you first started, especially if you work in a field that is dominated by technology. Being able to adapt to changes in the workplace is a key skill that employers seek in new hires.
Whether it’s adjusting to different workflows, due dates, or even learning new skills in order to continue doing your job to the best of your ability, being able to embrace change and welcome it as an opportunity to learn something new will help you get far no matter what industry you decide to work in.
Whether you’ve been dedicated to one career for most of your life or have tried many different things, chances are that you have developed at least some of these highly desirable transferable skills.
