When sitting down to apply for a job the first thing people think about is education and experience. Yet the skills you\u2019ve acquired outside of work could actually be the key to getting the next job you want.<\/p>\n
Career experts Gillian Kelly and Greg Calvert told CareerOne that no matter how old you are or how many jobs you\u2019ve had, identifying your transferable skills is one of the most important steps in the job-seeking process.<\/p>\n
\u201cTransferable skills showcase your capacity to do the job and are absolutely essential in the current job market,\u201d said Gillian Kelly a career coach and resume expert from\u00a0Career Edge\u00a0in Brisbane.<\/p>\n
Greg Calvert is the president of the Tasmanian division of the Career Development Association of Australia. He says \u2018transferable skills\u2019 are simply the skills that we\u2019ve acquired with life experience and in many cases those skills are acquired outside the work environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook outside your existing work role and consider your skills in the context of the rest of your life. For example, your family life, volunteering or hobbies,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchool leavers or graduates who may only have held part-time jobs or are still studying will have a gained a number of skills – possibly more than someone who has been in a senior position for a number of years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
How to \u2018find\u2019 your transferable skills<\/p>\n
Gillian Kelly says the secret to identifying your transferable skills lies in the research you do on the job you are applying for.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally look at the job advertisement and find out what the core dimensions of the role are. Then, have a look at other advertisements for similar roles and find the things that employers are consistently looking for in your favoured position,\u201d says Ms Kelly.<\/p>\n
Kelly says government roles are a great place to start your research as they often include specific selection criteria that really \u201cbreak down the important parts\u201d of the role.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother approach is to make yourself a two-sided list; on the first side of the list look at yourself and identify how you meet the specific needs of the role.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the other side, identify how you can demonstrate these skills in your voluntary work, studies, hobbies or schools,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve identified what your skills are, the next step is to present them.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to think about how you will use the transferable skills in your resume and at the interview,\u201d said Ms Kelly.<\/p>\n
She says the \u2018profile\u2019 or \u2018career overview\u2019 or \u2018entry\u2019 section of a resume is a great place to position your transferable skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example you can say, \u2018Accomplished professional seeking an administration position which can utilise my organisational skills and high levels of motivation\u2019.<\/p>\n
Mr Calvert recommends having a stand alone \u2018Skills\u2019 section and listing each transferable skill with a bullet-point and explanation of \u2018how\u2019 you acquired the skills underneath.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018how\u2019 is very important. For every item on your resume, think: \u2018How can I portray this skill so that it supports the idea of doing what I want to do in my next job?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can’t make it support what you want to do, leave it out,\u201d he advises.<\/p>\n
During the job interview many of the same rules apply.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvidence your capacity to do the job,\u201d said Ms Kelly. \u201cYou need to show \u2018where\u2019 you got your skills and provide examples and scenarios of how you got them and how they have contributed to your past success.\u201d<\/p>\n
For people who may have been out of work for a long period of time or may be changing careers, Ms Kelly recommends the use of referees who can \u2018vouch\u2019 for your skills.<\/p>\n
She advises contacting potential referees to ask their permission before including their names and contact details on your resume.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Also] make sure they are aware of the role you are going for so they can be prepared,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n