Transferable skills are talents, knowledge and abilities that are directly applicable to multiple organizations. This can be contrasted with proprietary skills that are specific to an organization such as a custom technology or business process. At the top level, generalist skills such as leadership are transferable to any industry or pursuit. Most soft skills are completely transferable. Hard skills can be transferable but can also be proprietary such as knowledge of a technology that isn't used by many firms. The following are common examples of transferable skills.
Algorithms
Analytics
Bookkeeping
Budget Control
Business Analysis
Business Cases
Business Modeling
Business Plans
Business Software
Change Management
Coaching
Coding
Compliance
Conflict Resolution
Coordination
Creativity
Customer Relationships
Customer Service
Data Analysis
Data Science
Decision Making
Design Thinking
Diplomacy
Discipline
Event Planning
Facilitation
Financial Analysis
Financial Estimates
Forecasting
Gap Analysis
Goal Setting
Influencing
Information Security
Language Skills
Leadership
Management
Managing Up
Marketing
Mathematics
Media Production
Meeting Management
Meeting Minutes
Negotiation
Networking
Non-Verbal Communication
Partner Management
Performance Management
Personal Presence
Personal Resilience
Planning
Prioritization
Problem Solving
Procurement
Program Management
Programming Languages
Project Management
Public Speaking
Quality Assessments
Quality Control
Reasoning
Recruiting
Reporting
Requirements Gathering
Research
Risk Assessments
Risk Management
Sales
Self-Direction
Software Architecture
Stakeholder Management
Standards Compliance
Statistics
Strategy Planning
Supervision
Teaching
Technology Infrastructure
Technology Platforms
Time Management
Troubleshooting
User Interface Design
Verbal Communication
Visual Design
Written Communication
Notes
In some cases, job candidates aren't aware that processes, practices, technologies and terminology that they have used in a job aren't common in an industry. This can be a red flag to hiring managers who may have experienced new hires who are inflexible or that experience significant difficulties in transitioning to a new organization.
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Professional Skills
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