Transferable skills: how to find yours and use them
Transferable skills are the abilities you can take from one job or field to another: analysis, writing, managing people, handling money, fixing things. They are what make a career change a step sideways instead of a step back. Here is how to find yours and how to show them.
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Why people undersell them
Most people describe their experience in the language of their current job: titles, tools, internal jargon. A hiring manager in another field cannot translate it. The skills are real; the description hides them.
The main kinds
| Kind | Examples |
|---|---|
| Thinking | Analysis, problem solving, research, judgment |
| Communication | Writing, speaking, teaching, negotiating |
| People | Leading, coaching, serving customers, resolving conflict |
| Organization | Planning, project management, budgeting, scheduling |
| Technical | Software, data, repair, operating equipment |
The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET groups work skills into six families: basic, complex problem solving, resource management, social, systems and technical.
Take the free career test. Free, about 10 minutes. Runs in your browser; your answers stay on your device.
Take the free career test →How to find yours
- List results, not duties. For each past role, write three things you achieved.
- Name the skill behind each result. “Cut costs 12 percent” is budgeting and analysis.
- Check them against real jobs. O*NET OnLine’s free Skills Search lets you pick skills and returns occupations ranked by how well they match.
- Rate your level. Could you demonstrate it tomorrow?
How to show them
- Use the new field’s words. Read five job postings and borrow their language.
- Lead with proof. A number, a project, a before and after.
- Fill one gap on purpose. If every posting asks for a skill you lack, build that one first.
Skills check
Rate each statement as it is for you now. 1 means not true; 5 means very true.
1 = not true · 5 = very true
A reflection prompt, not a psychological test or advice. Your answers stay in your browser; if you continue to the free chapter, only your total is added to the link.
Where APSP fits
The free career test starts with your skills and competencies, compares them with 129 careers and shows, for each of your three best paths, the skills you already bring and the ones to build, with official BLS pay and entry routes. Then the frameworks plan your first 90 days.
Do it with others. A change is easier to hold when other people see your progress. In a meta-analysis of 138 studies, people who reported their progress publicly or recorded it reached their goals more often (Harkin and colleagues, 2016). Vcomm is 12 months of self-directed accountability among professionals who work from the same model, so you are not redesigning your life alone.
Questions about transferable skills
What are the most transferable skills?
Skills used in almost every field: communication, analysis, organization, working with people and handling money or data.
How do I list transferable skills on a resume?
Pair each skill with a result, in the language of the job you want.
Are soft skills transferable?
Yes. Communication, leadership and problem solving move across most fields; show them with examples.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor). Skills Search: find occupations that use the skills you select. Instruction sheet, CSU Channel Islands. Source
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: median pay (May 2025) and typical entry-level education by occupation. Source
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025, reissued July 21, 2026). Number of jobs, labor market experience, marital status, and health: results from a national longitudinal survey (people born 1957–64). Source
Checked October 16, 2026. Evidence labels follow the APSP evidence tiers. Educational content; not therapy or professional advice.
Keep exploring
Take the free career test.
Free, about 10 minutes. Runs in your browser; your answers stay on your device.
Want to turn your skills into a plan, live? The APSP Live Session: 90 minutes online with live Q&A, $98.