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Transferable Skills Yep! You Got Them!

Updated: Apr 21, 2021

Transferable, functional skills are required in many different work situations. They are built into your education and valued by employers .


A group of people listen to a man talk from the other side of a low table.

A bit of reflection will allow you to see that your courses, research projects, college work experience, extracurricular activities, internships and field study have all been instrumental in providing skills that employers value. Take a look at the list below and determine which of these transferable skills you have developed.

Planning and Organizational Skills

  • Manage time and priorities effectively

  • Successfully juggle multiple demands (school and work)

  • Identify, assess and evaluate needs

  • Develop measurable goals and a logical plan to achieve set goals

  • Stick to a difficult endeavor and see it through to completion (four years of college)

Critical Thinking Skills

  • Research and gather pertinent information and identify important elements

  • Sort information by relevance- what matters most for the task at hand

  • Evaluate data to detect trends or patterns

  • Recognize interrelationships in information obtained from diverse sources

  • Examine the assumptions underlying analyses or conclusions

  • Use facts to judge validity of theories

  • Create innovative solutions to complex problems

Human Relations and Interpersonal Skills

  • Embrace differences and value others from diverse cultural, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds

  • Demonstrate a commitment to diversity through supportive action

  • Understand one's own identity; identify personal values and apply them when making decisions

  • Interact and work collaboratively effectively with peers, supervisors and subordinates

  • Communicate sensitively and effectively in both individuals and group settings

  • Take initiative and propose new ideas

Leadership & Management Skills

  • Define and explain ethical behavior and practice it in difficult situations

  • Demonstrate flexibility and ability to handle change, stress and ambiguity

  • Define common goals and build consensus

  • Recognize connections and mutual interests between different groups

  • Effectively motivate and manage groups; negotiate change

  • Delegate tasks and responsibility with respect for others

  • Lead and support as the situation demands; act consistently and transparently in all dealings

  • Teach a skill, concept or principle

Communication Skills

  • Organize and present ideas coherently for formal or spontaneous speeches

  • Effectively participate in group discussions and brainstorming ideas

  • Debate ideas with respect for the opinions of others

  • Read and condense large amounts of materials

  • Write reports clearly, grammatically, concisely, objectively, convincingly, and in appropriate format

  • Listen well and interpret what you heard correctly

  • Ability to perceive non-verbal messages

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