Changing careers can be daunting, but one of the most effective ways to make the transition smoother is by focusing on your transferrable skills – the abilities and experiences you have that are relevant across various industries. By emphasizing these skills, you will show potential employers your adaptability and value, no matter the field. In this post, we will discuss how to write a resume for a career transition by focusing on these transferrable skills and specific examples to guide you in the resume writing process.

Why should you focus on transferrable skills? It’s easy. They are the building blocks of any career because they are not confined to a specific industry. These skills can be applied across various fields and demonstrate a candidate's competence and potential. If you are making a career transition, emphasizing these skills can help you bridge the gap between your experience and future aspirations. Let’s dig into this further:

SHOWCASE VERSATILITY & ADAPTABILITY

Transferrable skills demonstrate your ability to adapt to new roles and environments. They show you have a strong foundation that can be applied in different contexts.

Example: A teacher moving into the healthcare industry can highlight communication and organizational skills, which are essential in both fields.

HIGHLIGHT RELEVANT STRENGTHS

Focusing on your relevant strengths can help you make your case for suitability for the desired role, even if your previous job titles don’t translate across industries.

Example: A project manager transitioning into marketing can emphasize leadership and strategic planning skills.

BUILD CONFIDENCE WITH EMPLOYERS

Hiring managers will consider candidates from different industries if they can clearly see how the candidate's skills will benefit the organization.

Example: A retail employee moving into healthcare customer service can showcase problem-solving and conflict-management abilities.

Understanding how your skill set can be applied to a new industry is key to successful career transitions. If you can identify and articulate these transferrable skills, you’ll present yourself as a well-rounded and qualified candidate capable of thriving in a new environment. While touching on every possible scenario for a career transition is impossible, we hope the following examples provide inspiration.

TEACHER TO HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL

Communication: Because you articulated complex lesson plans and topics to students, you can also explain complex medical information to patients.

Organization: Because you managed evolving classroom activities and schedules, you can easily navigate patient appointments and medical records.

PROJECT MANAGER TO MARKETING SPECIALIST

Leadership: Because you led project teams to complete projects ahead of schedule, you can complete marketing campaigns on time for stakeholders.

Strategic Planning: Because you developed project timelines and budgets, you can create effective marketing strategies.

RETAIL WORKER TO CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Problem-Solving: Because you solved complex order issues for retail customers, you can easily resolve customer complaints in a remote work environment.

Team Collaboration: Because you worked alongside colleagues in a fast-paced retail environment, you can easily communicate with a customer service team.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL

Recordkeeping: Because you maintained accurate records and schedules in an office environment, you can effectively manage employee personnel files and onboarding processes.

Interpersonal Skills: Because you collaborated with diverse teams across multiple departments, you can also facilitate employee relations with diverse personnel.

ENGINEER TO DATA ANALYST

Analytical Thinking: Because you solved complex technical issues, you can also analyze extensive data to identify trends and insights.

Technical Skills: Because you have mastered complex engineering software, you can easily learn new data analytics tools.

SALES REPRESENTATIVE TO FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR

Persuasion: Because you were able to upsell customers on merchandise, you can also persuade potential donors to contribute to causes.

Networking: Because you built a loyal clientele base, you can also establish effective relationships with donors and sponsors.

CHEF TO EVENT PLANNER

Time Management: Because you could coordinate meal preparation in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments, you can effectively manage competing event schedules and timelines.

Innovation: Because you developed new, state-of-the-art recipes, you can also create unique event experiences.

FINANCIAL ANALYST TO OPERATIONS MANAGER

Financial Acumen: Because you analyzed financial data, you can manage budgets and financial operations.

Problem-Solving: because you identified financial issues, you can optimize financial processes.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER TO UX DESIGNER

Design Skills: Because you created visual content, you can also design user-friendly interfaces.

Attention Detail: Because you ensured design consistency, you can enhance user experiences and interactions on digital platforms.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO DATA ENTRY SPECIALIST

Technical Proficiency: Because you used customer service software and systems to manage customer information, you can leverage your technical skills to use data entry software and databases efficiently.

Data Integrity & Accuracy: Because you maintained accurate and secure records of customer interactions, you can ensure precise and error-free data entry activities.

Let’s take this a step further and explore ways to highlight your transferrable skills on a resume. There are several ways to do this, ultimately depending on how your resume is structured. Here are a few ways you can accomplish this:

DO: IDENTIFY RELEVANT SKILLS

Review the job description of the role you are applying for and identify the key skills required. Match these key skills with all of your transferrable skills.

Examples of Key Skills: Project Management, Strategic Planning, Leadership, Communication, and Problem-Solving.

DO: CREATE A SKILLS SECTION

When creating your resume template, include a dedicated skills section. You can list your transferrable skills here.

DO: TAILOR YOUR EXPERIENCE

In the professional history section of your resume, you can focus on the responsibilities and achievements that are most relevant to your desired career.

Example: If you are a customer service professional, don’t focus on your responsibilities of taking phone calls. Instead, focus on your experience with navigating internal platforms, leveraging your technical expertise, and documenting detailed, accurate customer interactions.

DON'T: OVERLOOK SOFT SKILLS

Listing soft skills that are valuable in any industry is a great starting point! Examples include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, strategic planning, time management, and critical thinking.

DON'T: USE INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC JARGON

Avoid using verbiage that may not be understood easily outside your current industry, and instead use more universally recognized terms.

DON'T: NEGLECT TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR RESUME

As always, you should tailor each resume you submit to align your skills and qualifications with the job description requirements.

We know that making a career transition can seem daunting and challenging. By focusing on your transferrable skills, you can create a compelling resume that showcases your adaptability and value.  No matter your career path, emphasizing your relevant skills will help you make a successful transition.

Ready to elevate your resume with a clean and professional template? Contact us today to learn more about our resume writing services and how we can help you stand out in the job market. You can also find out more about what we offer here or subscribe to our email list so you don’t miss out on future posts with resume writing and career counseling advice.