Career Development Center
Presenter: Cam Helkowski, chelkow@luc.edu
November 2011
Take inventory of what YOU offer
 Major skills and abilities
 Social, technical or field-specific skills
 Important personal attributes (hard-working,
trustworthy, results-oriented, decisive)
 Ask: Where have I successfully used these abilities,
skills and attributes?
Why Look at Transferable Skills?
 Leverage skills for new opportunities
 Target skills will offer the greatest personal reward
 Identify areas of strength and interest
 Identify areas for growth and development
 Identify areas of burnout or dissatisfaction
 Data for self-marketing/ personal branding
3 Types of Skills
 Technical/ Work-specific skills are specific to a job and are not easily
applied in other environments or situations. These skills tend to be technical
and/or specialized.
 Functional/transferable skills can be applied in most environments and
situations. They incorporate various combinations of data, people, and thing
skills. Examples of functional skills include communication, planning,
organizing, managing, analyzing, and problem-solving.
 Self-management/adaptive skills (sometimes referred to as personality
traits) are related to how we conduct ourselves and are rooted in temperament.
Examples of these skills include taking the initiative, resourcefulness, being
good-natured, and reliability.
Assess Your Marketability
 What Can You Provide that No One Else Can?
 Transferable skills
(i.e. communication, analyzing, organizing, problem-solving,
planning, presentation)
 Experience by organizational function
 Accomplishments
Assess Your Marketability:
What Can You Provide that No One Else Can?
 What do you know? What have you done?
 Personality and character (adaptive skills)
 How can you help? What value do you bring?
 Education and related training
 Volunteer experience
Assess Your Marketability:
Transferable Skills that Employers Seek
 Collaboration and
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 Entrepreneurial attitude
Teamwork Skills
and creativity
Diplomacy/Influence
 Understanding of multiple
perspectives
Adaptability and Flexibility
 Problem-solving and
Project Management
analysis tied to the “big
Interpersonal Skills
picture”
Communication Skills
 Strategic planning
Transferable Skills Categories
Communication
Research and Planning
Leadership and Management
Human Relations and Interpersonal
Communication Skills
 Speaking effectively in public
 Writing clearly and concisely
 Expressing ideas in an open forum
 Facilitating group discussion
 Providing appropriate feedback
 Persuading or advocating
 Reporting technical information to a non-technical
audience
 Interviewing for information
 Editing documents
Research and Planning Skills
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Generating ideas
Identifying problems
Developing alternative solutions
Identifying resources
Gathering information
Goal Setting and Evaluation
Conducting Needs Analysis
Developing evaluation and feedback strategies
Leadership and Management Skills
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Recruiting and hiring staff
Providing direction, coaching and feedback
Handling details or coordinating tasks
Managing groups
Delegating responsibility
Teaching or Instruction
Counseling for performance improvement
Promoting change
Managing conflict
Human Relations and Interpersonal Skills
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Developing rapport
Listening actively
Providing support for others
Motivating
Sharing credit
Counseling
Cooperating
Representing others
Perceiving feelings, situations
Asserting
In what ways have you
applied your transferable
skills?
Communicate Your Value:
Accomplishments
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Achieved
Adapted
Authored
Built
Completed
Controlled
Convinced
Created
Developed
Directed
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Established
Evaluated
Implemented
Improved
Initiated
Maintained
Managed
Operated
Produced
Reduced
Accomplishment Statements
Questions to get started:
• What outcomes have you been recognized for?
• Did you improve processes, procedures? How?
• Did you negotiate for savings or to generate revenue?
• Did you increase brand (think mission) awareness?
How?
• Did you come up with an idea that improved the
organization in a tangible way?
• How do you know you did a good job?
Examples of Accomplishment
Statements
 Managed five program budgets totaling $$.
 Improved collections procedure to capture $$$ in
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unrealized revenue.
Consistently exceeded sales goals by 20%.
Completed projects on time and under budget.
Managed projects across three research centers.
Trained and supervised (department) staff.
Identified and characterized (interesting research finding.)
Wrote and was awarded foundation grant for work on…
Invited presenter at 2011 XXX conference.
Next Steps
 Complete a comprehensive skills analysis
 Research career areas to find a possible fit
 Online
 Print
 People
 Network to learn as much about the industry as you
can & to build key connections
 Create a job search plan
 Update your resume and practice interviewing
Determining Qualifications
for Specific Jobs
 Print Resources
 Online Resources
 Online Job listing sites
 Information Interviews
 Trade Professional Associations
 Conferences, Industry Events, Meetings
Resources
Skillscan- www.skillscan.net
Occupational Outlook Handbook- www.bls.gov/oco
O*Net- www.online.onetcenter.org