Transferable skills
Transferable skills (functional skills) are skills that people acquire through life experiences, jobs,
and/or school. Because these skills are not restricted to only one profession, they can be
transferred from one type of work to another without having to retrain. Some employers will hire a
candidate with transferable skills that relate to the position even if the applicant does not have
direct experience in the particular field.
Transferable skills are very important when the applicant does not have direct experience. This is
often the case for new, graduating students or people who are making a change in careers. For
example, handling money for a student club as treasurer could show a future employer that the
candidate is able to manage money for their store.
When writing resumes, it is acceptable to include transferable skills that have been gained from
everyday living, volunteer work, school classes, and/or community involvement.
The following is a partial list of common transferable skills that college students may acquire
through school, work or life experiences:
 Adapt to situations
 File
 Prepare reports
 Analyze
 Follow directions
 Problem solve
 Anticipate problems
 Generate ideas
 Promote ideas or events
 Budget
 Learn new skills
 Provide support
 Calculate
 Handle money
 Record data
 Check for accuracy
 Improvise
 Research
 Communicate
 Instruct others
 Set goals/objectives
 Compute data
 Lead people
 Set-up systems
 Coordinate
 Listening skills
 Speak in public
 Delegate
 Log information
 Supervise
 Develop programs
 Manage time
 Think abstractly
 Edit
 Meet deadlines
 Train/teach
 Endure long hours
 Memorize data/information
 Troubleshoot
 Establish goals
 Monitor progress
 Update information
 Evaluate information
 Motivate others
 Use a computer
 Examine data
 Organize a schedule
 Use hand/eye coordination
 Explain
 Organize people or things
 Work quickly
 Facilitate meetings
 Plan
 Write
Academic Advising and Career Center • California State University, Sacramento • (916) 278-6231 • www.csus.edu/careercenter • 2013