Transferable Skills Inventory
Transferable skills are those skills you have developed over time through various experiences that can
be used in many other situations – skills you can ‘transfer’ from one work role to another. For instance,
the communication skills you develop and perfect on one job are transferable to another job where
communication is also important.
For each skill listed below, think of a situation in which you have used the skill, whether at work, in
education, in your community, or in any other area of your life. Ask yourself: How much do I like using
that skill? How good am I that skill? If you are not sure whether you have used or demonstrated a
particular skill, think about how others would see your abilities.
Step 1 – Enjoyment
Below is a list of transferable skills, defined in four categories. This list is by no means exhaustive, so if
you think of a skill that is not on the list, add it at the end under ‘other transferable skills.’
First of all, work through the list of skills and rate only your enjoyment and feelings of satisfaction in
using each skill, using this scale:
V= Very High
H =High
M = Medium
L= Low
Step 2 – Ability
Using the same scale, go through all the skills again and rate your ability, or how good you think you are
at using each skill.
How much do I
How good am I
like using this skill?
at this skill?
Working with Data
Taking inventory, counting or tracking things
Calculating or computing numbers
Developing databases
Working with spreadsheets
Keeping financial records or bookkeeping
Managing money
Developing a budget
Paying attention to detail
Classifying, storing or retrieving information
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How much do I
How good am I
like using this skill?
at this skill?
Recording facts
Checking information for accuracy
Implementing processes or programs
Following through on plans or instructions
Investigating or clarifying results
Locating answers and gathering information
Researching and analyzing data and facts
Working with Ideas
Writing letters, reports or other documentation
Creative writing
Editing or revising
Teaching or training
Translating or interpreting other languages
Translating complex ideas into everyday language
Showing foresight, planning ahead, predicting consequences
Quickly sizing up a person or situation accurately
Organizing or classifying
Prioritizing tasks and managing time
Managing projects or programs
Problem-solving, trouble-shooting
Comparing or perceiving similarities/differences
Reviewing, evaluating, improving
Inventing, designing or creating new processes/products
Making decisions in ambiguous situations
Learning new skills and knowledge
Conceptualizing ideas, models, relationships
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How much do I
How good am I
like using this skill?
at this skill?
Working with People
Helping and caring for others
Being empathetic and sensitive to people’s needs
Developing rapport and building relationships
Listening effectively
Motivating, encouraging or supporting
Advocating for or representing others
Counselling or coaching people
Guiding, advising, or mentoring people
Giving helpful, constructive feedback
Teaching or training others
Speaking in public
Facilitating or leading groups
Persuading or influencing others
Negotiating with others
Mediating and resolving conflict
Supervising or directing the work of others
Delegating work to others
Making a real difference to customers or clients
Relating to diverse people
Working with Things
Assembling parts or pieces
Designing or inventing
Constructing or building
Operating tools or machinery
Using scientific or other complex equipment
Driving or operating vehicles
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How much do I
How good am I
like using this skill?
at this skill?
Handling things with precision and/or speed
Fixing or repairing
Drafting or surveying
Examining or inspecting
Monitoring equipment
Sketching or drawing
Creating jewellery, patterns and other crafts
Cooking and baking
Working with and caring for animals or plants
Other transferable skills:
Step 3 – Interpretation
Go back over all the skills and note:
1. The skills which you really enjoy and feel you are really good at (V and H in both columns).
These skills are likely strengths of yours. If your work draws on your strengths, you have a higher
likelihood of feeling satisfied in your career.
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2. The skills which you really enjoy (V or H in the left column) but do not feel you do very well (L in
the right column).
These are skills you may want to focus on for your development, especially if you feel the skills
are important for what you’d like to be doing in the future. If it is a case of not having had the
opportunity to use certain skills, you may want to actively seek opportunities to use those skills
in order to build your ability.
3. The skills which you really don’t like using (L on the left), but that you have developed a high
degree of ability in (H or V on the right).
These are skills on which you don’t want to rely – if you spend too much time and effort on
things you are good at but don’t like doing, your work may drain your energy and be
unsatisfying.
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Step 4 – Strongest Skills
Identifying the transferable skills you are good at and enjoy using is an important step along the path of
promoting your abilities to others. Often, the harder part is giving examples of how you’ve
demonstrated those skills. Some people take for granted what they do well. Others are not comfortable
with ‘selling themselves’. However, to show other people what you are capable of, you need to be able
to put into words how you’ve actually used the skills you have.
List your several of your strongest skills below, and write out a description of how you used each skill –
i.e., what the circumstance was and what you actually did.
Skill
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How I have demonstrated this skill
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