Transferable Skills | Definition, Meaning & Examples
Transferable skills are abilities that are relevant to a wide range of jobs and industries. In other words, they’re the kinds of skills you can “transfer” or “carry with you” from one job to another or from your education into the professional world even if you’re changing careers or applying for a job that isn’t directly related to your studies—which is why they’re also sometimes called “portable skills.”
Most soft skills are considered to be highly transferable skills.
Understanding the concept of transferable skills is particularly important if you’re a recent graduate or looking to make a career change and don’t have a lot of experience that’s directly relevant to a position you’re applying for. By highlighting your applicable transferable skills, you can show the potential employer that you have the fundamental abilities to quickly pick up the job-specific skills required for the role.
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you draft compelling descriptions of transferable skills for a resume, CV, or cover letter.
| Example transferable skill | How a candidate might demonstrate this skill | Examples of relevant job-specific skills |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal communication |
|
|
| Critical thinking |
|
|
| Organization |
|
|
What are transferable skills
A definition of the term transferable skill in an educational context is a competency you develop through your learning that’s applicable to a wide variety of professional tasks and responsibilities. Schools and colleges integrate transferable skills such as teamwork, problem solving, and presenting into their curricula to help prepare students for the job market.
The meaning of transferable skill can be slightly different in a recruitment context, where it it’s often used to describe any skill you already have that’s close to what a potential employer is looking for but not an exact match (e.g., a specific hard skill like Python programming might be considered transferable if you’re applying for a job that requires Ruby as the two languages have a lot in common).
Transferable skills are often the focus of cover letters for internships or career change cover letters.
Transferable skills examples
Here’s a list of transferable skills, along with examples of jobs where a candidate could use them to demonstrate their suitability for the role.
| Category | Specific skills in this category | Relevant jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Social skills |
|
|
| Analytical skills |
|
|
| Negotiation skills |
|
|
| Leadership skills |
|
|
| Creativity |
|
|
| Collaboration |
|
|
Frequently asked questions about transferable skills
- What are some transferable skills for a resume?
-
Examples of transferable skills for a resume include:
- Soft skills, such as teamwork, intercultural awareness, and persuasion.
- Hard skills, such as proficiency in office software (e.g., Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace), accurate typing (e.g., for data entry), and experience using a programming language that’s similar to one a potential employer is looking for.
You can efficiently proofread your descriptions of transferable skills for your resume, CV, or cover letter with the help of a tool like QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker.
- What are some transferable skills for a CV?
-
Typical transferable skills for a CV are:
- Soft skills, like adaptability, critical thinking, and verbal communication.
- Hard skills like variance analysis (e.g., for an accounting application), material selection (e.g., for product design), and experience using a type of software that’s similar to what’s specified in the job posting (e.g., QuarkXPress if they’re asking for InDesign).
Why not proofread the descriptions of transferable skills for your CV and cover letter using QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker?
- Is it transferable or transferrable?
-
The standard spelling of the adjective transferable is with one “r” in the second syllable (e.g., transferable skills). Transferrable (with double “r”) is a less common variant spelling.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you select standard spellings for your variety of English.
