The Value of
Transferable Skills
Lisa Schwartz and Christiana Wu
Associate Directors, Working Professional and
Alumni Programming
May 15, 2014
Learning Objectives
• Why transferable skills are important
• How to identify your transferable skills
• Communicating the value of your transferable skills
Skills for a modern economy
• Rapid & continual change in industries & roles
• Increased career change
• Need for versatility & adaptability
Transferable skills…..
• Skills used in one job or career that can also be used in
another
• Can be leveraged for advancement or career change
• Need to know them, sharpen them, sell them
What Counts?
-Hard skills – quantifiable i.e. software skills, language,…
-Soft skills – subjective, harder to quantify i.e. leadership, team
management, flexible, entrepreneurial, analytical
-Industry knowledge – Healthcare, Financial Services,…
-Functional knowledge – program management, client service,
B2B management.
-Subject matter expert – hobbies, passions.
*Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Examples of Transferable Skills
Transferable Skill Identification
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Integrative Problem Solving
Commitment
Leadership
Analysis
Attention to detail
Flexibility
Learning quickly
Communication
Team Player
Cross Functional team work
Perspective/Interaction
Make or Buy Decisions
Presentation Skills
Cultural competence
Dealing with ambiguity
Managing multiple priorities
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Personal Impact
Persuasiveness/Influencing
Creative Thinking/Innovation
Quantitative Analysis
Negotiation
Customer Focus
Planning & organizing
Strategic Thinking/Strategy Development
Academic Achievement
Technical Expertise: Financial Modeling,
Analysis, Valuations, Merger
Competitive Analysis
Computer Literacy
Benchmarking
Balancing the needs of various customers
while keeping eye on the big picture
Networking
Key Skills by Function/Field/Industry
Consulting
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Big Picture (like seasoned insider)
Rooting Out Problems
Ready, Willing and Able
Client Facing
Financial/Quantitative Skills (stories
in the numbers)
Industry/Functional Expertise
Teamwork
Initiative
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Curiosity
Structured Thinking
Analytical Problem Solving
Creativity
Achievement – Promotions/Career
Progression
Results-oriented
Leadership
Extracurricular activities / active
involvement in something other than
school/work
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General Management
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Leadership
Strategic AND Implementation
Enthusiasm
Maturity
Strategic Thinking
Analytical Skills / Analytical Thinking
Intellectual Curiosity
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Adaptability
Cross Functional Team Experience
Quantitative Skills- Comfort with
numbers
Team Player (Leader and Member)
Results-oriented
Key Skills by Function/Field/Industry
Banking
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Quantitative Analysis
Familiarity with balance sheets,
spreadsheets, & income
statements
Very traditional work environments
Modeling
Energy & Stamina
Specific business/industry
knowledge
Thrive in fast pace
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Judgment
Highly motivated
Teamwork
Competitiveness
Social – comfort with clients
High level of commitment
Perform under pressure
Private Wealth Management
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Sales
Strong client facing
Financial Market Awareness
Portfolio Construction
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Communication Skills
Self-motivation
Key Skills by Function/Field/Industry
Marketing
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Visionary sense / Creativity
Understanding of why specific
brands stand out and what qualities
make brands stand out
Comfort with numbers – analyzing,
speaking about, presenting
Cross functional skills - leveraging
opinions of everyone, getting input
from Market Research, Finance,
Sales, Product Supply
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Strong Project Management Skills
Risk Taking
Consumer Savvy
Teamwork
Leadership
Analytical thinking / Analytical skills
Communication skills
Solutions-oriented
Decision Making abilities
High Tech (Technical)
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Strong with numbers
Project management skills
Creative problem solving
Multi functional team involvement
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Flexibility
Comfortable with change
Cutting edge
Entrepreneurial
Personal Skills
• Drive
• Confidence
• Assertiveness
• Motivation
• Character
• Judgment
• Values
• People Sensitivity
• Creativity
• Integrity
• Intelligence
• Energy
• Initiative
• Self-awareness
• Persistence
• Open-mindedness
Identify and communicate the value of your skills
• Review past accomplishments, successes & feedback
• Highlight benefits & impact
• Align with market needs & determine transferability
List your accomplishments
• Oversaw strategic market analysis and implementation plan of a new product
line, leading to inclusion into CEO’s strategic growth priorities​.
• Analyzed key quantitative and qualitative operations metrics to reduce gap
between existing service level and necessary online fulfillment expertise.
• Led an initiative across multiple internal departments (Product, Sales,
Operations) to reformulate the criteria and metrics used by the core
Manufacturing Group to evaluate long-term sustainability of processes.
• Developed and presented recommendations around new process
improvements to senior leadership, leading to approval to implement by end of
fiscal year with projected savings of $50M within first 2 years.
Transferable Skills
• Strategic planning
• Analysis
• Cross-functional leadership
• Leading change
• Presentation to senior leadership
Align skills with needs
• Analyze job postings and descriptions
• Understand needs, gaps & opportunities
• Sell your most relevant features -
Q&A