Are you interested in a career change but not sure how to convince a potential employer to give you a chance? You have experience, but it may not seem like the right kind. A transferable job skill is any ability or skill learned in the past that you can use in other work settings. Whether you’re just entering the workforce, facing layoff, or simply looking to move into a new career, identifying your transferable skills help you market yourself to a prospective employer.

What transferable skills do you possess?
Before you can market yourself to an employer, you must first identify your transferable skills. First, make a list of your past work experiences. If you have little prior work experience, list hobbies, volunteer efforts, sports activities and any other involvement with various organizations. Next, list all the skills and responsibilities you used in each experience, such as delegating responsibility as class president. Making a list will help you visualize how much you’ve accomplished in the past – and hopefully allow you to realize which skills can translate to your future career.

Categorize your job skills.
Almost all transferable skills fit into five broad skill categories, with more specific skill sets in each. The list below will help you organize and clarify your job abilities.

1. Leadership and Management – Includes managing conflicts, delegating responsibilities, coordinating tasks, and making decisions.
2. Professionalism – Day-to-day skills such as of being punctual, meeting goals, implementing decisions, and accepting responsibility.
3. Communication – Includes skills like speaking and writing effectively, interviewing, editing, and reporting information.
4. Research and Planning – Consists of setting goals, gathering information, developing evaluation strategies, and identifying problems.
5. Relational – Interpersonal skills like listening, motivating, counseling, and sharing credit

Regardless of what field you are in, from a machine operator to receptionist to a CEO, these skills carry from job to job. Identifying and organizing your transferable skills is just half of the battle. Check out the second part of this series in the next post to learn how to market your transferable job skills.

In the digital age, most people rely on the internet as a primary source to search for a job. Although it’s a great place to start, you don’t have to limit yourself to only searching online job postings. Some companies choose not to post their open positions online. They may prefer to use the local newspaper or word of mouth to find job candidates. So, if you’re looking online for a job and can’t find a position you want, think outside the internet box, and use these three resources to track down job leads.

1. Newspaper classifieds – You may think that posting a job opening in a newspaper is old school, but not all employers post positions online. Some may use the classifieds because they want to limit the opportunity to local job candidates, or they may simply be accustomed to using the newspaper. So don’t forget to check out your local newspaper when you hunt for a job.

2. Staffing agencies – Many offer a wide variety of jobs for different skill levels, qualifications, and industries, and not all of them are just temporary positions. If you’re not sure what type of job you want, or what company to work for, try using a staffing agency. Some provide tests to determine your qualifications and help you find the right fit.

3. Networking – Contact former co-workers, supervisors, or clients and tell them you’re looking for a job. See if they have any open positions or know of any. This can help you land an interview and potentially a job offer when you’re struggling to make a connection with an employer. Because employers value what others have to say about a potential candidate, it’s always good to be on the inside track by having those connections with others.

Sometimes the perfect job isn’t in plain sight, especially if you’re only looking in one place. So, try using these three traditional methods to expand the possibilities of finding the job opening you’ve been hoping for.