Your Guide to Transferrable Skills for a Career Change

If you're part of the 33% of UK employees planning to make a career change within the next year, we know making that switch can be challenging.

That's why identifying your transferable skills is crucial as a career switcher. These skills can be applied across a variety of industries and can give you a competitive advantage –  especially when you may otherwise lack direct experience.

Employers highly value transferable skills because they demonstrate your ability to adapt, learn, and contribute effectively, making you a strong candidate even in unfamiliar fields.
 
In this blog, we help you pinpoint your current skills and offer practical examples of how they can be leveraged across different sectors. 

What are transferrable skills?

While hard skills are job-specific and teachable, transferable (soft) skills are more flexible and can be leveraged in various work environments, making them especially valuable during career transitions. Examples of transferrable skills include: 

• Problem-solving 
• Attention to detail
• Critical thinking skills
• Communication 
• Teamwork 

These skills tend to be inherent qualities that shape how people approach their work. Unlike hard skills, transferable skills are more adaptable and can set you apart during a career change. Leveraging these skills can help you succeed in a new field, making your experience more valuable to employers.

Why are transferrable skills important?

Common Transferrable Skills

Your transferrable skills will vary based on your unique background and experiences. However, some common and highly valuable skills tend to be shared across various professions and industries.

In the following section, we explore some of the most useful transferrable skills that can support your career growth and transition, helping you demonstrating your strengths to potential employers. These skills can be applied to new roles, showcasing your ability to adapt and thrive in different work environments. They include: 

Communication 

Being able to convey ideas clearly and effectively is essential in any role, ensuring tasks are completed without confusion.

This also means understanding how to adapt your communication style based on the people you work with and the method you work in (i.e., hybrid, in-person or remote). 

Organisation 

Being organised means effectively managing your time, tasks, and resources to ensure productivity and efficiency. It involves planning ahead, prioritising responsibilities, and maintaining a structured approach to work.

Organised individuals can keep track of deadlines, meet expectations, and minimise stress by maintaining order in their professional and personal environments. They are proactive, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple tasks simultaneously without feeling overwhelmed.

Adaptability 

The ability to embrace change, whether it’s adopting new software or restructuring, is highly valued by employers. An adaptable person will: 

• Be curious and have an open mind  
• See opportunity where others might see setbacks  
• Be proactive and resourceful 

Teamwork & Relationship Building 

Teamwork and relationship building are crucial transferrable skills that showcase your ability to collaborate effectively with others. Employers value these skills because they foster a cooperative work environment, improve productivity, and encourage a sense of community within the workplace.

Strong teamwork skills enable you to contribute to group goals, share knowledge, and support colleagues. Relationship building helps establish trust, improves communication, and strengthens professional networks, all of which are key to success in any career.

Empathy 

Someone empathetic can generally sense and understand the emotions of those around them. This is a particularly useful skill if you’re a leader or manager who needs to be in tune with their teams.  

Employers value empathetic individuals because they foster collaboration and drive innovation within teams. High levels of empathy enable individuals to navigate and resolve conflicts effectively, ensuring a compassionate approach while considering the needs of all parties involved. This leads to stronger relationships and a more positive work environment.

Motivation 

Motivation is a key transferrable skill because it demonstrates a person's drive, enthusiasm, and commitment to their work.

Employers value motivated employees because they tend to take initiative, stay productive, and contribute to the overall success of the organisation. Motivated individuals inspire those around them, which fosters a positive and dynamic work environment. Motivation can even be a key factor in achieving long-term career goals, making it an essential trait for both personal growth and organisational success

How to Identify Your Transferrable Skills

To help you along with your career change, we've outlined the steps you can take to pinpoint your transferrable skills: 

1. Reflect on Past Experiences: Review your previous jobs, tasks, and achievements. Identify common skills you used, such as communication, problem-solving, or leadership, and why they were helpful to you in each role.

2. Ask for Feedback: Seek input from colleagues, mentors, or supervisors to gain insights into your strengths that you might not be aware of.

3. Review Job Descriptions: Look at roles you're interested in to see which skills employers are looking for, then compare and contrast them with your own. This can give you insight on where you may need to upskill. 

4. Take Skills Assessments: Use online tools, like those with the National Careers Service, to help identify and validate your transferrable skills for a career change.   

5. Continuous Learning: Consider taking on professional certificates and courses to develop and refine your skills, making them more relevant for your career transition.

How to Reference Your Transferrable Skills for a Career Change 

To effectively reference your transferrable skills during a career change, focus on the skills you already possess that are valued in your new field.

Transferrable Skills – Example 1: 

In the cybersecurity industry, skills like problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and planning are in high demand. A teacher, for instance, could leverage these transferrable skills, even though their background is non-technical.

This draws attention to the fact that those working in nontechnical backgrounds would be able to switch careers and work in the cybersecurity based on their transferrable skills. This could ultimately help overcome the skills shortage in the industry. 

When updating your CV, highlight the relevant skills and be prepared to discuss how you've used them before and how you'd use them in your new role. This will help demonstrate your value to employers and let them know you're paying attention. 

Transferrable Skills – Example 2: 

STAR Recruitment have stated that those working in beauty sales, travel, banking and advertising hold many desirable transferrable skills, including: 

• Active communication 
• Strong relationship building  
• Good attention to detail  
• Intrinsic motivation  

These skills are equally important for roles in the property industry, such as estate agents or property managers, where building relationships and maintaining motivation during busy times, like the holiday season, is key.

To highlight these transferrable skills to potential employers, provide concrete examples of how these skills overlap across different industries.

Transferrable Skills – Example 3:  

UX Designer, Norman Wollaston, used his transferrable skills to switch from a career in retail to start a new career in creative design. These soft skills included:   

• Empathy
• Compassion
• Problem-solving  
• Creativity   

By focusing on user needs and aligning them with business objectives, Norman’s ability to identify and address problems helped him seamlessly shift into UX design, demonstrating how transferable skills can lead to successful career changes.

Ready for a career change?