✨ Activity: Skills Employers Want
| Site: | RRU Open Educational Resources |
| Course: | Career Management Resources for Professionals |
| Book: | ✨ Activity: Skills Employers Want |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Tuesday, 1 July 2025, 1:10 AM |
Versatility of Transferable Skills
Skills you have developed in one profession are often relevant and valuable in another, seemingly unrelated field. Consider the transferable skills you’ve developed in your career and volunteer opportunities, and how they might support unexpected opportunities in your own career journey.
By examining examples like a dancer transitioning into cyber-security and political leadership, we see the hidden connections between disciplines.
Example:
A Professor of Enterprise and Competitiveness, University of Birmingham connected the skills of a professional dancer who made a successful career change to political administration using his transferable skills.
Rahm Emanuel trained as a ballet dancer and eventually became senior advisor to Bill Clinton between 1993 and 1998, then chief of staff at the White House to Barack Obama and finally mayor of Chicago.
Dance as a career involves extraordinarily high levels of commitment, concentration, persistence, passion and training. Dance and cyber security are both about patterns, rhythms and attention to detail. There is nothing to suggest that dance is not a suitable pathway towards computer programming … and would be unable to compete in the world of cyber security. — (Bryson, 2020, para. 5, 7).
Transferable Skill Statements
Now, we invite you to review the list of transferable skills needed for the future:
- Problem-solving
- Creativity
- Workforce digital skills
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Critical thinking
- Leadership
Download the Skills Employers Want Worksheet (PDF) to record your answers for the following activity.
Connect the dots:
1. Choose one workplace transferable skill that you:
- you are adept at and enjoy using
- would rate yourself as “better than average” at using, and
- are still exploring and mastering
- What was the Situation and Task at hand? What as the Action you took? What was the Result of your action? What Skills did you gain or build on?
These are powerful examples during career transition, when you meet potential employers, are applying for jobs, or during interviews.
Examples provide evidence. Employers want evidence that you can successfully handle the responsibilities of the job. Strong skill statements—ones that clearly link your experience, abilities, education, and knowledge—demonstrate your qualifications and make a compelling case for why you’re a good fit.
Example
Here is an example using the STARS format, illustrating the MA in Leadership course at Royal Roads University, with the transferable skill collaboration.
LEAD527: Communications and Leadership in Groups and Teams
Course Description
Examines the theory and practice of leading productive teams and of facilitating groups. Fosters appreciation of students' abilities to communicate effectively in working relationships in support of productive collaboration. Develops students' expertise in promoting effective decision-making, optimizing the benefits of diversity, planning and implementing of team goals, and assessing of outcomes. Promotes awareness and application of ethical principles and concepts. Encourages a systemic perspective to ensure fluid communication with the immediate organizational environment and knowledge of influences of the environment on the team.
S/T (Situation/Task):
As part of the Master of Arts in Leadership program at Royal Roads University, I completed a course titled Communications and Leadership in Groups and Teams. In this course, our team of four was tasked with creating an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training package for a not-for-profit organization within a two-week timeframe. Although I had over 20 years of experience in EDI and initially intended to lead the project, another team member expressed interest in taking the lead.
A (Actions):
I chose to support my teammate’s leadership by stepping back, actively listening, and contributing in a facilitative role. I asked clarifying questions, offered encouragement, and helped keep the team aligned with our objectives. In addition, I compiled all team members’ contributions and took the lead on drafting the final version of the training document.
R (Results):
Through this experience, I expanded my understanding of EDI content, and our team earned an A on the project. Our professor was so impressed with the training package that she requested permission to share it with a colleague—an Executive Director of a not-for-profit organization.
S (Skills Demonstrated):
This experience showcased my collaboration skills, including active listening, clear and concise communication (both verbal and written), and team contribution through drafting and synthesizing final project materials.
A Skill Statement based on this STAR response could sound like this:
While completing a graduate-level leadership course, I collaborated with a team to develop an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training package for a not-for-profit organization. I demonstrated strong collaboration skills by supporting a teammate’s leadership, contributing to team discussions, and drafting the final training document. Our work received top marks and was recognized by the professor, who shared it with a not-for-profit Executive Director.