Writing a CV
What are ‘transferable skills’?
You might be looking to apply for something totally different from what
you do now. You might think that the experience and skills you have are
not relevant to the new opportunity. However, you learn and develop
skills in everything you do. Transferable skills are skills that you use in
one area (e.g. a job), but that can be really useful in a completely different
area. Examples of transferable skills are being able to:
work in a team
communicate well
care for others
manage your time well
make decisions
solve problems.
When you apply for a job or training, the employer might ask about your
experience. Don’t worry if you’ve never had a job - you can develop
transferable skills in many ways. This could be through activities in
school or your home life. For example, you may have:
helped look after family members
worked on a project that had a deadline
had responsibility at school - maybe you have been a prefect or been trusted with a task for a teacher?
played a sport where you’ve been part of a team.
Remember – don’t just list what you’ve done; explain the
skills that you used to do these things!
4.