Some people can hop between jobs and industries with ease. They can move from one role to another and improve their salary and prospects as they go, even when these roles seem unrelated to each other. This is no coincidence; these individuals have universal job skills aka transferrable skills.
If you can master these seven most common transferrable job skills, you may be less likely to be unemployed for any period and more likely to be rewarded with pay rises and promotions.
Flexibility, adaptability and innovation
People who are flexible and adapt and innovate when change occurs are always sought after. Being open to change is a vital skill and showing that you can embrace new systems and see potential improvements they bring is always more impressive to an employer than begrudging acceptance.
Creativity and problem-solving
Facing problems in our daily work is unavoidable. If you can become the person who finds creative solutions through problem solving, your colleagues and employer will notice. Your creativity and problem-solving skills are an asset that could help your employer solve expensive problems or gain new business.
Results focused
Understanding the commercial side of your business will help you achieve better results. You can achieve this by asking yourself whether your solutions are the most cost effective and good for the business during projects.
Interpersonal skills
Even if you don’t interact with your colleagues frequently, working well with others is a prerequisite for almost every job. Essential interpersonal skills include listening, empathy, fairness and resilience. If you’re friendly and can build internal and external relationships, you’ll get brownie points with your employer and get ahead at work.
Computer skills
Technical computer skills and initiative are universally favourable and will get you noticed even if your job doesn’t rely on them directly. For example, if you can help your boss with spreadsheet conundrums or demonstrate how to use the database most effectively to other staff, you’ll be noticed.
Ability to research
Even if you’re not a researcher, knowing how to find helpful information is a beneficial skill in most industries. You can research subjects or issues to give your boss options, find out what the company has done in the past for similar situations, or find out how other companies tackle it.
While not everyone is born with these transferrable skills, they can be learned regardless of age. Try googling the relevant skills for helpful tips or searching for books on the subject. If you recognise skills in the above list that are strengths of yours, make sure to mention them and relevant examples in your resume and interviews.
[Adapted from Seek.com.au]
Teamrecruit is Australia’s most established recruitment agency specialising in truck, earthmoving and agricultural machinery dealerships in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Find out more about Teamrecruit and how we support employers and candidates in the dealership industry.
