Transferable skills – Now a HUGE part of your job search

There was a time when having a degree was enough to get you a job with a decent salary.  This is no longer the case.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but seems that an undergraduate degree has become a dime a dozen.  You need to have a little extra something to stand out from the thousands of others who are applying for the same jobs you are.

Almost every student has worked before, whether it was a part time job while in school (university or even high school), a summer job, a co-op/internship or even volunteer work.  Use these past experiences to your advantage!  Almost every sector looks for job skills that transfer over from one job to another, including jobs in fields such as accounting and IT.  Traditionally these kinds of positions did not require skills such as communication or people skills, but employers are now looking for more than just technical knowledge, and it is becoming more important to have the whole package.

No matter what kinds of positions you are applying for, sit down and think about all of the jobs you have ever had.  Even if you are not including them on your resume, think abut the tasks you completed and what you did day to day. Also, remember what school taught you…research, writing, editing, presentations, group work, etc, etc.  These are GREAT skills that many employers look for.  You are probable more qualified than you think you are!

Here are just some of the skills that hiring managers look for in candidate for almost any position:

• communication skills (actually probably one of THE most important skills to have!)
• customer service/working with others
• presentation skills
• problem solving
• leadership
• writing skills (again, very important in many fields)
• computer applications
• time management
• multi-tasking
• organization