If you are in the process of searching for a new tech job, you already have a long list of skills that you will consciously or otherwise be showcasing. But do you know the transferable skills that will get you noticed and help you get interviews?
Your work history may be what is getting your foot in the door, but it’s your set of transferable skills that will ultimately speed your transition from jobseeker to employee in a tech domain. As technology changes quickly, workers with transferable skills are in high demand.
What Are Transferable Skills?
No matter what occupation you’re pursuing or what work environment you’re in, the concept of transferable skills is one that you should be familiar with. For every valuable job skill you develop on the job, your resume becomes more and more marketable to other employers.
The skills you learn in one job are transferable—that is, they can be used in any number of jobs.
Why Are Transferable Skills in Demand in Tech?
In the tech industry, great talent is only as powerful as the skills and experience of its professionals. Working in technology is a broad term that includes many skills and different job roles.
To succeed in the industry, a solid base of skills in problem-solving, leadership and collaboration is essential, as well as knowledge of programming languages and an ability to look at customer needs and industry trends from a forward-looking perspective. These are the skills you develop throughout your career, and these are foundations that serve you throughout your life.
Transferable skills are in demand in tech because of one simple reason: Employers prefer workers who possess transferable skills. That's because employers know that workers with transferable skills have a wealth of knowledge they can utilize when required.
For example, someone with analytical skills can likely examine a problem from every angle, thereby helping break down the options that exist for solving it. Tech employers search for employees with transferable skills because, in general, employees with transferable skills have the tools and knowledge to go beyond their job descriptions. They can apply them to a variety of workplace challenges.
5 Examples of Transferable Skills to Help You Get a Tech Job
With so many applicants, it pays to refine your resume to distinguish yourself from the field. One way to do this is by highlighting your transferable skills. Here's a list of effective transferable skills that will help you stand out:
1. Communication
Your communication skill is by far the most important set of transferable skills. It helps you progress rapidly through the different levels of your career path. The ability to communicate eloquently is highly prized in today's workplace.
Though listening and speaking are significant, communication is more than just hearing and speaking. Today, technological communication skills—evaluating today's communications media for their strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the medium appropriate to your audience and message—are key to effective communication.
2. Collaboration
The tech field is a team-oriented environment that requires you to work together with others to successfully develop and implement new ideas. As such, it's essential for you to demonstrate your teamwork skills.
This means being aware of the bigger picture and considering how others work, how they contribute to the product, and how your work impacts them.
As part of your job, you'll share information and ideas with colleagues across different teams, to help them reach the business goals you or your team are working towards. Collaborating across different areas of expertise can help you be more successful in your work.
3. Adaptability
Becoming willing to change can ensure that your work stays relevant. In an era of increasing technology, you need to show that you can adapt to new systems and technologies. Adaptability is an essential skill in any tech job environment.
In a tech-driven workplace, you’ll need to find solutions to problems, embrace challenges, and enjoy working through them. You can achieve the best outcomes if you are willing to try different techniques, tools, and strategies.
4. Project Management
Project management is a valuable skill to have in any high-tech environment. It involves planning, delegating, tracking and reviewing to achieve a goal.
While working in a technology environment, you may have to work on various projects and manage their development. This will require day-to-day coordination and collaboration with your fellow workers to ensure the projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to high standards.
5. Problem-Solving
Solving complex difficulties is a vital skill for anyone in the tech industry. It's important to have this skill to progress and remain relevant in this industry.
To demonstrate the ability to solve complex problems, you could outline how you solved a challenging problem in a previous role and how this helped benefit the company.
How to Demonstrate Transferable Skills in Your CV
In today’s tough job market, you must stand out to the employer. You need to show why you’re a great fit for their organization. However, selection systems today are getting stricter, with employers using keyword searches to sift through hundreds of applications. To make their job easier, they often rely on an ATS or applicant tracking system to scan your CV.
You must stay up-to-date with these changes happening. Moreover, to avoid being filtered by keyword searches, you must show a wide range of transferable skills in your CV.
Demonstrating transferable skills with standardized section headings and common language will highlight your relevant experience, with each skill bolded, so the employer knows what they’re looking at. Besides, such a resume will also pass ATS checks run by companies.
Building a Career in Tech Is Easier With Transferable Skills
Employers are seeking people who will fit perfectly into their corporate culture, so they look at transferable skills as a way to identify applicants who have the potential to do so. In the end, what matters most is how you can tailor your transferable skills to the position at hand.
It doesn’t matter what background or industry you’re from. When it comes to professional experience, employers are looking for hard workers who can multitask and keep a level head under pressure. Regardless of the job you’re applying for, having transferable skills will put you ahead of the curve.