How to write a transferrable skills-based resume

A transferrable skills-based resume is a powerful tool for job seekers. Whether you’re looking to make a career change or simply want to highlight your versatility and potential, emphasizing your transferrable skills is a smart strategy for building a successful career.

Here we’ll explore some practical tips and strategies for writing a transferrable skills-based resume that will help you stand out to potential employers.

What are transferrable skills?

Transferrable skills are abilities and experiences that can be broadly advantageous. They are not industry or role-specific.

Transferrable skills can include:

• Aptitude for leadership
• Effective communication
• Problem-solving
• Critical thinking
• Project management
• Teamwork
• Time management
• Adaptability (See: Learning to be adaptable in a changing workforce)
• Creativity.

Advantages of a transferrable skills-based resume

Rather than focusing solely on job titles or specific industry experience, a transferrable skills-based resume emphasizes the skills, abilities, and achievements that can be applied across a range of roles and industries.

This approach can help you overcome potential obstacles such as a lack of specific industry experience or education, and opens new possibilities for career growth and advancement.

A transferrable skills-based resume can also help you showcase your versatility, adaptability, and potential, which are highly valued by employers across industries.

4 tips to write a transferrable skills-based resume

1. Start with a strong summary statement

Begin your resume with a clear and concise summary statement that highlights your transferrable skills and experience. This should be a brief overview of your career objectives, key strengths, and accomplishments, and should be tailored to the specific job or industry you’re targeting.

2. Identify your transferrable skills

Take some time to identify the transferrable skills that you’ve developed throughout your career, such as leadership, communication, problem-solving, or project management. Think about how these skills can be applied to different industries or roles and highlight them prominently on your resume.

3. Use concrete examples and achievements

Rather than simply listing your skills or responsibilities, use concrete examples and achievements to demonstrate your abilities and accomplishments. Quantify your results whenever possible and use specific examples to illustrate how you’ve applied your skills in real-world situations.

4. Tailor your resume to the job

While a transferrable skills-based resume is designed to be versatile, it’s still important to tailor your resume to the specific job or industry you’re targeting. Use keywords and phrases from the job description and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the role.