Summary
These skills will support your success professionally, as long as you invest and put intentional effort into polishing them continuously & consistently.
Transferable skills allow you to succeed in your role, whatever it may be, as they are skills that are needed, independent of the job function.
Mehar Sindhu Batra, a celebrated career coach and guide shares her insights on various career-related topics only on Edugraph.
In my personal opinion, these are skills that never go “out of style.” In addition, they allow you to take control of your career path and ease the stress experienced during transitional times, such as a promotion or career change. Possessing transferable skills and highlighting them will only work in your favour.
These skills will support your success professionally, as long as you invest and put intentional effort into polishing them continuously & consistently.
In other words, transferable skill highlight that:
- You’re adaptable to the evolving job requirements & responsibilities
- You can be relied upon
- You can increase your own visibility in the job market
However, just possessing or knowing that you possess transferable skills is not enough. You must know how to make them relate to your current scenario/expectations. Because, ultimately, this is what will show that you have a presence of mind.
In my 8+ year-long corporate journey, I have actually benefited greatly through developing these 6 transferable skills:
1. Being a resourceful team player
A resourceful person knows their way around a problem, issue or even a difficult situation at the workplace. At the workplace, problems will always arise but how we deal with them effectively speaks a lot about us. Do we give up easily or are we able to solve the issue to the best of our knowledge? Are we able to help our team members and if not, do we seek expert help?
2. Being capable of critical thinking
This skill is not just limited to architects, interior designers or graphic designers.
Every organisation values an employee who can look at a problem and see it from an angle not seen by anyone else and then come up with a completely unique but beneficial solution. Afterall, in the real world, we will often be faced with situations that we don’t know how to handle - which is exactly when our critical thinking will come in a clutch.
Every organisation values an employee who can look at a problem and see it from an angle not seen by anyone else and then come up with a completely unique but beneficial solution. Source: Official
3. Being a leader, when required
Leadership is not a post, but a skill people know you for. People possessing this skill take charge of situations, coach their fellow colleagues and work alongside their teammates in dire situations, perpetually or when required. They do NOT delegate and lay back but are involved in the entire process themselves. They are only focused on the bigger picture, that is getting the work done.
4. Being emotionally intelligent
Emotional intelligence combines the ability to identify, harness, and manage emotions. To demonstrate emotional intelligence, we need to embody skills such as empathy, self-awareness, and influence, which are essential for those in roles requiring managing people. Know and understand that people are emotional, if you know and respect this then a lot of everyday conversations and transactions will become easier for you. And let’s be honest, there is no work area that is completely devoid of humans.
5. Knowing the significance of teamwork & collaboration
No workplace is without a team of people working towards a common or shared goal. Hence, it is imperative that organisations will expect their employees to be team players and be able to work alongside others. This is not to say that working alone is discouraged, however teamwork and collaboration helps in lessening the pressure and saves a lot of time while achieving a set target or goal.
6. Being an ace communicator
The simple highlight of this skill is that it empowers us with the knowledge of what, how and when to speak on a topic or share our perspective on a situation. Miscommunication at the workplace creates friction within the team and the hierarchy, preventing them from having a good working environment. Having this skill is a valuable asset not only for you but also for the organisation you are associated with.
In the simplest terms, transferable skills allow you to succeed in your role, whatever it may be, as they are skills that are needed, independent of the job function.
These skills contribute most significantly to the professional you become and take you places in your career journey!
Mehar Sindhu Batra, Founder and CEO of MSB Vision Source: Official
(About the author: Mehar Sindhu Batra, is the founder and CEO of MSB Vision – an organisation with the vision to “empower young professionals to recognise & reach their true potential and accelerate their careers.” She created a community through her Instagram page - MSBVision where one can find regular informative, well-researched, inspirational and empowering content which can help young minds become better students, learners, professionals, entrepreneurs and above all, strong individuals.
Born and raised in New Delhi, she is a Chartered Accountant and an MBA from Imperial College, who now lives in London. She has 8+ years of work experience at top tier companies such as KPMG & E&Y as well as startups in India and the UK.
She has mentored 10,000+ people through 1:1 coaching sessions and university workshops on various topics such as building a career strategy, excelling at work, creating a professional brand and communicating effectively. )
We will be running this as a series, to be published fortnightly on Wednesdays. Do watch this space for more. You can check out Mehar’s other content on her Instagram handle - msbvision.
Last updated on 19 Apr 2023
