You may have read somewhere that college graduates need to have not just “hard” skills such as knowledge of computer programming languages, but also “soft” skills such as getting along well with other people. This “soft skills” term is not one we prefer here at UMBC Extra Credit in part because it makes those generalist skills sound kind of lightweight and easy. We prefer to use the idea of “transferable” skills, which include but also extend well beyond playing well with others!
So what ARE transferable skills?
Transferable skills are the skills you’ve gained from your courses, jobs, volunteer experiences, leadership roles, sports, hobbies, or other life experiences that you can use in your next job or career or in life generally. They are skills that make a difference in a wide variety of settings.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook Survey 2013, the Top Ten Transferable Skills employers look for are:
1: Communication
UMBC Example: You served on a student panel at Scholar Selection Day explaining the Honors College experience for prospective students. Your talk was effective at conveying what these high school students needed to know to make a good decision.
2: Teamwork or ability to work in a team structure
UMBC Example: During your service-learning experience freshman year, you and four other team members created and presented an activity on healthy living for 8th graders at the local elementary school. You ensured every team member had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and had a role in the activity. The 8th graders enjoyed the activity and gave the team positive feedback.
3: Decision-making and problem solving
UMBC Example: While you were a resident assistant, you planned an event for your hall. Many of your residents gave you input on what types of food and decorations they wanted. However, you were only given $50 to fund the event. You successfully used the $50 to purchase food and decorations based on their various ideas and still stayed within your budget.
4: Organization and planning
UMBC Example: As President of the Student Events Board, you made sure each vice president and programmer had a list of tasks to complete along with deadlines. You successfully put together a calendar of events for all UMBC students every semester.
5: Ability to obtain and process information
UMBC Example: As a Peer Advisor in the Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising, you gathered information from students and parents, researched their questions, and, when necessary, referred them to the correct advisor or department to get their issue resolved.
6: Analytical skills, including quantitative analysis
UMBC Example: In your CMSC programming class, you successfully spotted errors in the code for your assignments and exams. Before turning in assignments, you reviewed them carefully and did several test runs to make sure the code was working correctly.
7: Technical knowledge
UMBC Example: As an intern at a bank headquarters, you used specific knowledge that you acquired in your accounting classes to complete tasks.
Note for the record: Not all technical knowledge falls in the “transferable” category although some does. For example, the ability to speak and read Spanish is a technical skill that could be valuable in many work settings.
8: Software proficiency
UMBC Example: As a desk manager in Residence Life, you have become a Microsoft Office pro by creating PowerPoint presentations and flyers in Publisher for events and bulletin boards. You also maintained staff schedules using Excel spreadsheets.
Another note for the record: While facility with popular software packages such as Microsoft Office is definitely a transferable skill, intimate knowledge of complex programs has to be viewed as a job-related technical qualification.
9: Written skills
Example: As a writer for the Retriever Weekly , you contributed articles and editorials on campus news and various topics of importance to UMBC students.
10: Ability to sell or influence others
Example: As an SGA senator at UMBC, you negotiated with and persuaded University administrators to implement policies and programs to help improve the student experience.
RESOURCES AND LINKS
For more information on what employers want from new graduates, check out NACE’s site here:
On the Quintessential Careers website:
Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Job Skills is a Vital Job-Search Technique by Katharine Hansen
EXTRA CREDIT DISCUSSION QUESTION(s)
Have you gained transferable skills at UMBC? Was this through courses or extracurricular activities? Do you list these skills on your resume? Please share your experiences in the Comments section below.
