In a race where you have to compete with hundred of other job seekers for only one vacancy, paper qualification does very little to your employment prospects. In fact, there are certain key areas that can determine your employability almost instantly, possessing transferable skills is one of them.
Besides technical knowledge that is exclusive to each occupation, there’s a broad range of soft skills that all employers look for in a potential candidate.
Transferable skills are a set of soft skills that can be applied to all positions in any industry, which are gained from individual professional experiences.
Here are the most valuable transferable skills that will help you get hired (and how to develop them):
Problem-solving and decision-making skills
Oftentimes, junior executives expect their managers to give directions on certain tasks in order for them to perform well. But it shouldn’t be the case all the time. Proactive employees would evaluate and approach the tasks with their own strategies. That’s when they learn how to execute projects and gain more authority for their future career advancement.
By taking charge of your career, you will develop problem-solving and decision-making skills naturally. The most important thing to keep in mind is to embrace challenges and allow yourself to make mistakes. Don’t hesitate to ask questions as well as guidance from your manager in order to measure your work results precisely.
Oral and written communication skills
No matter what role you’re holding, these skills are the core of your career development as they directly reflect your professionalism both at work and in daily life.
Most people overlook the impact of good writing and only focus on speaking skills, specifically public speaking. Although speech carries more weight when it comes to conveying ideas, let’s not forget about the power of a persuasive business proposal or any other form of writing for that matter.
Related: Practical Guide to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking
You can practice effective communication skills through everyday conversations. Start by learning to become a better listener. As long as you understand the subject thoroughly, you’ll be able to speak more confidently in front of others.
Once you get comfortable with presenting ideas verbally, start transferring them into written words and don’t forget to share your writing with others. Here’s a quick reminder: good writing is 10% talent and 90% practice.
Also, remember that your future employer can assess your communication skills straightway during the interview.
Leadership skills
Leaders are mostly self-made, which means you, too, can become the leader you aspire to be. From group projects at school to volunteer work, there are many ways to nurture the leadership skills that will benefit your future employment.
To lead others, you need to build assertiveness and learn to compromise at the same time. It takes more interpersonal skills than technical knowledge to gain influence, which is why employers highlight a candidate’s communication and teamwork capabilities for the leadership role besides educational background.
IT literacy
Any aspect of business requires a fundamental understanding of IT applications. Hence, having strong computer skills, especially in spreadsheets and databases, will automatically improve your employability.
On top of the general IT knowledge, there are many tech skills that you can teach yourself to increase your personal value, such as advanced Microsoft Excel, Adobe Illustration and Photoshop, data analysis, and basic programming language. Those are among the most in-demand skills now as well as in the future.
Research skills
Pursuing a college degree is not just about getting a qualification. The years that you spent writing essays and presenting a thesis all boil down to one highly valued skill in this data-driven world: research.
Research skills comprise of critical thinking and analytical skills. You must know where to gather accurate information to enable the future decision-making process. Besides expanding knowledge, you need to gain effective research skills for competitive analysis as a part of your career advancement as well.
Time management
Together with research skills, time management is among the most advantageous skills that you could gain during college time. However, the pressure of getting your work done every day is much higher compared to assignment deadlines at school. Hence, you need to establish a suitable workflow for yourself to ensure the highest productivity.
Each person has different working pace but everyone needs to complete their tasks within the same working hours; that’s where time management skills come in. It’s best to allocate appropriate time for various assignments logically, don’t rush yourself to compete with others. Time management is all about prioritisation and self-discipline (try to steer clear of procrastination!).
Teamwork
Needless to say, being a good team player is a critical requirement in any organisation. Similar to leadership skills, teamwork doesn’t come naturally. Be willing to compromise if you need to, be affirmative if you need to, and be collaborative whenever you work as a team.
Individual performance affects the overall results of the whole team, so always assist your colleagues although their tasks may be different than yours. You can rest assured that your efforts will surely pay off at the end.
Developing transferable skills is the best bet to land your dream job, so don’t be afraid to follow your passion even when you lack experience. Hit the “Apply” button now to submit your resume on Jobstore.com!