Content
Working with
Transferable Skills
Presented by
UCC Careers Office
What are Transferable Skills?
Why are they so highly sought by
employers?
Transferable Skill Cycle
Why is Skills Analysis Necessary?
Transferable Skills Set
Working with a Job Specification
Emphasising your transferable skills in
your CV and Covering Letter
Why are Skills sought by Employers?
What are Transferable Skills?
• Transferable skills are the skills you acquire during any
activity in your life – that can be applied at a later stage in
other situations – e.g. they are transferable.
• You can acquire these skills through all sorts of activities
– employment, projects, voluntary work, hobbies, sports,
almost any area of your life.
From the employers perspective once you have
acquired a skill you then have the capacity to
transfer it into their organisation and develop it
further e.g. Skill Progression.
Therefore, when employers shortlist from CV and
from Interview they are looking for concrete
evidence of the skills you have developed that are
transferable and applicable to their organisation
and work culture e.g. Skill Match
Skill Progression
Ability to integrate into and work in different
teams in different environments
to reach team goals & objectives
Skills Developed
Team Skills
Demonstrate
Production Line – Team of 12,
Deadlines, Co-operation,
Weekly Progress Team Meetings
Transferred to
Industry (skill match)
Demonstrate
Group project – Team of 4,
Deadline 2 months, delegating tasks
based on others strengths and abilities,
Insight into team dynamics
Environment
Sports – Soccer/Rugby
Demonstrate
U16, U18, UCC soccer
club, weekly team training,
pull together to achieve
goals!
Transferred to
UCC / Course
Why is Skills Analysis Necessary?
College:
As you progress through your degree you are already acquiring
a number of these job skills.
Knowing how to Learn - uses efficient learning techniques
to acquire and apply new ideas and concepts e.g. lecturers
Interpersonal Skills - working on teams, communicating with
people at different levels, teaching others, leading, negotiating,
presenting, working well with people from diverse backgrounds
Self-Management - assesses self accurately, sets personal
goals, monitors progress and exhibits self-control
1
Numerical Ability - the use of mathematics to
communicate a point precisely and how to use data to
support an argument
Problem-solving - choice of appropriate methods of
solutions and implements plan of action
Project Planning - initial concept, risk analysis, task
management, time management, collaboration –
deadlines
Teamwork - working with others in both small and large
groups, having an awareness of team dynamics,
contributing to group objective
Work Experience:
Transfer of existing skills into industry
Work with qualified people in your field
Each role will allow you to acquire and develop job skills
Reflecting and recording these skills will allow you to
draw on them at a later stage as part of your job search
strategy.
Task/Activity
Contribution Made
Skills / Level
Learning Outcome
People
Transferable Skills Set
Analytical Ability
Willingness to Learn
Commitment
Dependability/Reliability
Team-work
Communication Skills
Co-operation
Drive/Energy
Self Management
Desire to Achieve
/Motivation
Problem Solving Ability
Collaborating
Flexibility/Adaptability
Initiative
Can Summarise Key Issues
Instructing
Negotiating
Logical Argument
Numeracy
Cope with Pressure/Deadlines
Persuading
Supervising
Time Management
Research Skills
Taking instructions
Team Member
Other
Data
Setting Up
Synthesizing
Coordinating
Compiling,
Computing
Evaluating
Controlling
Innovating
Manipulating
Analysing
Measuring
Handling
Precision
Working
Operating
Assembly
2
Heineken Ireland
Job Specification - Accounts
Assistant
Responsibilities:
Reporting to Group Finance Operations Manager in Cork
z Preparation of financial data for input into the general ledger
z Preparation of supplementary data for inclusion in monthly
report packs
z Provide cover for team members (accounts payable,
accounts receivable, accrual and prepayment preparation,
balance sheet reconciliation)
Group Reporting:
z Assisting in preparation of quarterly forecasts
z Assisting in implementation of new reporting formats
z
Administration
Other:
z General office duties and administration
z Assist in collation and presentation of information for ad hoc
projects (cost reviews, systems reviews etc.)
Requirements:
z Numeric skills
z Ability to work in a timely and accurate manner
z Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate
effectively with people at different levels
z Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
z Familiar with computers
My Skills
Job or Activity Cashier/Clerk - Credit Union
Task
Skills
Demonstrate
Responsible for
lodgements and
cash payments
Updated client
accounts to reflect
paid and outstanding
loan amounts
Numerical skills
Attention to detail
Communication skills
Working to deadlines
Computer skills
Summer 2002
Worked as part of
a team of 10
Concrete
examples of skills
developed
Collation of data for
month end report
Emphasising your Transferable Skills
The use of transferable skills should pervade
your job search and be a key factor in your
resume, cover letter and interview strategies.
SKILL MATCH
Analysising the company and job specification.
What key job skills are they looking for?
Where have I developed these particular skills?
Demonstrate with concrete examples.
Target CV and Covering Letter to show a Skill
Match.
3