How to develop important transferable skills

Transferable skills can be adapted between jobs; they are not specific to a single role. Building these skills greatly expands your career options because they have broad appeal to potential employers. Below are suggestions on how to develop those key transferable skills that can help you with your career progression.

Communication skills

Good communication is about conveying thoughts and ideas effectively, as well as listening to others and understanding what they are attempting to communicate. Key communication skills include:

• Speaking effectively and writing concisely
• Listening carefully and providing feedback
• Expressing ideas and feelings constructively
• Negotiating and persuading others
• Developing rapport with others
• Talking to a room full of people (giving presentations)

Leadership & management skills

Effective leadership & management is about directing and motivating others to achieve individual, team and company goals. Key transferable skills include:

• Managing groups and delegating responsibilities
• Planning and coordinating tasks
• Solving problems and managing conflict
• Translating strategy into tactical and/or operational goals
• Making and implementing decisions
• Motivating, coaching and training others

Planning & research skills

Planning & research skills enable you to articulate needs and formulate a strategy to accomplish specific objectives. Transferable skills in planning and research can include:

• Identifying needs and required resources
• Setting goals and identifying courses of action
• Gathering relevant information and evaluating results
• Forecasting, predicting and monitoring situations
• Analysing, interpreting and disseminating information

Teamwork & interpersonal skills

These skills are about the contribution you make to groups and the way you relate to and interact with others to achieve a common goal. Key transferable skills include:

• Sharing credit and accepting responsibility
• Contributing and encouraging the ideas of others
• Developing rapport and respecting other opinions
• Negotiation and influencing others
• Modifying communication to suit the situation

Self management skills

Self management is about how you direct your own activities toward the achievement of objectives. Transferable skills in self management include:

• Managing time and organising priorities
• Setting goals, meeting deadlines and solving problems
• Working well under pressure and accepting responsibility
• Ability to get along well with others
• Self-evaluation and decision making