Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are a core set of abilities that can be applied to a wide range of jobs and industries. Use this chart to identify the skills you’ve gained in your experiences—from volunteering and internships to course projects.
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Skills Employers Seek
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Undergraduate |
Graduate |
| Adaptability/flexibility |
- Developed a new or innovative approach to a problem
- Maintained composure during a time of change
- Adjusted to a new leader or leadership style
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- Innovated methods for new tasks
- Took on more responsibility when called upon
- Learned a new technical skill, program, or process in a short time frame
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| Analytical thinking/problem solving |
- Used logic or reasoning to solve a problem
- Planned a budget for a student organization
- Identified themes or patterns in data
- Synthesized data for a course or project
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- Reviewed literature and synthesized findings for academic research
- Strategized how to approach an experiment more effectively
- Recognized the core issue within extensive data
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Communication
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- Solicited funds for a student organization event
- Persuaded others to successfully complete a project
- Wrote or edited material
- Led presentations to students or customers
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- Taught complex concepts to beginners
- Presented academic research at conferences and in publications
- Wrote a successful grant proposal
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| Creativity |
- Designed a website or marketing promotion
- Built a prototype for a class
- Developed an innovative approach to a problem
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- Used visuals to clearly convey a point
- Restructured an experimental process
- Taught a difficult concept in a more creative way
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| Initiative/self-starter |
- Completed an assignment with little direction
- Proposed or implemented a new idea
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- Sought ways to enhance professional development
- Learned a skill or technique to add value to a project
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| Leadership |
- Managed a volunteer project
- Recognized change was necessary and initiated progress
- Delegated tasks
- Trained students or staff
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- Led productive class discussions
- Managed a student organization, research team, or conference
- Mobilized group decision-making
- Supervised students or staff
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| Organization/project management |
- Generated a timeline for goals
- Contributed to multiple projects simultaneously
- Created a more efficient organizational solution
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- Balanced simultaneous major projects, class deadlines, and research needs
- Arranged or categorized information
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| Resilience |
- Failed at something and recovered quickly
- Used personal strength and fortitude to overcome a challenge
- Sought support and expertise
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- Handled rejection of a publication, thesis draft, or research idea
- Recognized a professional weakness and devised strategies to build strength in that area
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Teamwork
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- Partnered effectively with group members for a project
- Recognized a shared team goal and found ways to be inclusive
- Overcame a challenge in a student organization
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- Collaborated with challenging lab or team members
- Participated in creative planning and brainstorming sessions
- Delegated tasks and came together to integrate findings
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