Why "transferable skills" are guaranteed to attract job offers

There’s a reason terms like “communication”, “multitasking” and “problem-solving” appear in almost every job listing. No matter what the role is, there are certain skills and values that you simply must have. The people who understand this best are the ones that find success.

Let’s divide these sought-after qualities into three groups: 1) Technical skills particular to a profession. 2) Transferable skills that apply to any industry. 3) Professional values.

Professional values are simply a way to describe your work ethic and decision-making: the kind of attitude that helps you fit into a team and makes success a whole lot easier.

When transferable skills and professional values are connected, you’re set up for long-term career progress. Let’s look at some examples of how these things are interlinked…

Critical thinking (transferable skill) corresponds with commitment and reliability (professional values). Being a team player gives rise to productivity. Leadership correlates with organization.

Once you see how these relatively general terms correspond with specific attributes that every employer wants, you gain valuable insight into how recruiters think.

“Communication” doesn’t just mean that you can express yourself well or that you’re able to keep others in the loop. It means that you can process information quickly, present something persuasively, and get stuff done efficiently.

“Creativity” doesn’t refer to your ability to make a snappy PowerPoint presentation. It means that you can generate ideas, commit to engaging with things fully, and embrace obstacles.

There’s a big difference between having these transferable skills/values and being able to signal to a recruiter or employer that you possess them.

Bottom line: identify your weaknesses and turn that into a personal development project. Once you’ve honed those skills and values, they won’t seem so vague anymore. You’ll start representing them better in job applications because you will now embody those qualities.