Three Transferable Skills Every Hiring Manager is Looking For

If you want your CV to stand out from the crowd, then you’ll need to be able to display a healthy range of transferable skills. Transferable skills – also sometimes referred to as soft skills – are skills that apply to many situations and can help you be a more adaptive and versatile employee.

That being said, many of these skills can also lose their meaning when taken out of context which is why it’s important to always back them up with examples from your experience.

In today’s article, we’d like to talk about three of the most commonly sought-after transferable skills. We’ll be discussing what they mean, how to develop them, and how to apply them in practice so that you are better equipped to write your next CV.

1. Critical & Analytical Thinking 

The term critical thinking can sound very buzzwordy but in truth it’s a very simple yet very powerful skill.

At its core, critical thinking is all about asking questions. Does this make sense? How would this plan work if put into practice? Is this a practical solution to the problem at hand?

That being said, it’s not just about asking any questions but about asking the right questions – the questions that will help you hone in on the truth.

One thing that’s important to understand about critical thinking is that it can be very situational. That is to say, many people are quite good at critical thinking when it comes to their areas of expertise but might struggle in areas they’re less familiar with.

For example, an experienced chef won’t struggle to think critically about a recipe. Most of the time, they should be able to tell at a glance whether the ingredients and methods will work together to produce a pleasant meal. On the other hand, a six year old might struggle with this, thus inventing such delicacies as marmite cake or spaghetti and ice cream.

All jokes aside, the key to being a good critical thinker outside of your own area of expertise is to understand your biases and limitations. Can you be certain of what you’re doing? How can you test your plans before putting them into action or taking risks?

And of course, when in doubt, check the recipe before you start cooking.

2. Proactive Problem Solving

If you want to progress in your career, then it never hurts to start developing a more managerial mindset. As an entry-level employee, you’ll often be confronted with problems that are ‘above your paygrade’, so to speak. As such, it can be easy to get into the habit of passing the buck along to your manager.

While there are many cases where you just can’t avoid bringing your boss in, learning to identify problems that can be solved independently will make a big difference to your career. Not only will it make you a more autonomous worker but it will also show your team that you can be trusted.

Furthermore, by rethinking the problems in front of you and finding solutions for yourself, you’ll be demonstrating a willingness to go the extra mile and apply your understanding of the subject matter.

Perhaps most importantly of all, when it comes time for a promotion, it’s the people who can work independently who’ll be considered first.

3. Team Oriented Communication Skills

If there’s one thing that can absolutely sway the scales in terms of hiring decisions, it’s a proven track record of good team work. Your abilities on your own are, of course, important, but your ability to work with a team goes far beyond that.

Not only are good teams more productive, but they’re also a lot happier. If you can prove that you’re good at communicating with and working with a team, then that demonstrates that you’ll likely be able to fit into and help to cultivate a good company culture.

Company culture might not seem like the most important factor in a hiring decision but the truth is that the team you work with will likely have input on the decision of who to hire. Even if they don’t, your manager will certainly want to hire someone who’s likeable and easier to work with.

At the end of the day, while teams exist to get the work done, they’re also made up of people. If you’re a good communicator who’s easy to talk to and pleasant to be around, then that can make all the difference in the world. After all, everybody wants a nice workplace.

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