Transferable Skills free essay sample

What are Transferable Skills? We all have â€Å"learned† abilities and â€Å"natural† abilities. Learned abilities are our skills and natural abilities are our talents. So what are Transferable skills or job-related skills? Simply put, transferable skills are the skills and abilities you have acquired during any activity in your life – your jobs, classes, projects, volunteer work, parenting, hobbies, sports, virtually anything – that are applicable to what you want to do in your next job. Learned abilities are skills you develop throughout your life and can apply to a variety of situations. An example would be the ability to coordinate multiple tasks. Job-related skills are skills that you use while in a particular job. An example: dental hygienist would know how to use the dental technology for cleaning teeth and how to take x-rays. Why are Transferable Skills Important? Bottom line: Transferable skills are essential for success in the competitive market place that we are in now. We will write a custom essay sample on Transferable Skills or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These are the skills that are applicable from job to job and to a variety of work settings. The combination of: o strong academic and thinking skills, o strong technical skills, o a commitment to lifelong learning, o the ability to work in teams, o and to communicate effectively are constantly emphasized among employers as basic skills for everyone in this competitive job market. â€Å"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. † Benjamin Franklin Copyright  © 2009 Leading Org Solutions, LLC www. eadingorgsolutions. com Page 1 of 6 Self Discovery / Self Assessment Identifying your strengths, talents and transferable skills are a critical step in your job and career search. Whether you are seeking a similar job, making a career change or re-entering the workforce, it is important to be clear on what your strengths and talents are, as well as of your transferable skills. Self assessments can help to determine what career is most suitable for you and to identify your transferable skills. Recommended assessments to complete: o o o o Discovering My Skills Transferable Skills Worksheet My Job Satisfaction Inventory Find your top 5 Strengths through StrengthFinder About StrengthFinder StrengthFinder: StrengthsFinder is an online assessment that helps you find the areas (your talents) where you have the greatest potential to develop strengths. The ultimate goal is to build a true strength, and talent is just one of the ingredients in this formula. Originally developed by Gallup in 2001 as part of the book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, and then updated in 2007, the StrengthsFinder identifies your top 5 talents with the greatest potential to be developed into strengths from 34 identified talent themes. Building your talents into real strengths requires practice and hard work, much like it does to build physical strength. For example, if you are born with the potential to build large biceps, but you do no exercise these muscles regularly, they will not develop. Strengths Equation: Talent – a natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving X Investment – time spent practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base = Strength – the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance (your ultimate goal) Our natural talents and passions – the things we truly love to do – last for a lifetime! But all too often, our talents go untapped. Every human being has talents that are just waiting to be uncovered. How can knowing my strengths, help me to be more successful and happier in my current job or career and in life in general? Copyright  © 2009 Leading Org Solutions, LLC www. eadingorgsolutions. com Page 2 of 6 Translating Transferable Skills to a Resume A few steps to take before developing your resume: o Research and learn about various careers and what skills are required, a few suggestions: Read descriptions/positions posted online or in want ads Contact professional organizations Network with individu als who are currently working in your desired field or job o Write an objective that tells which skills are applicable to the position you are seeking o Focus on writing a skills based resume, drawing from the transferable skills that you identified through your assessments From Receptionist to Finance o Proven ability to deal with wide range of individuals, including investors and institutional money managers in a fast-paced and time-sensitive environment o Gained knowledge of financial markets and instruments, specifically stocks, bonds and options DON’T o Emphasize administrative experience o Computer experience o State: Schedule meetings and appointments and coordinate travel arrangements. Copyright  © 2009 Leading Org Solutions, LLC www. leadingorgsolutions. com Page 3 of 6 3.