It is rare that a person’s job description entirely encapsulates all of the functions within their role. For example, marketers are also managing projects, finance professionals are crafting corporate communications, and so on.
In order to stand out in the modern workforce, you need to have a diverse set of transferable skills that will allow you to migrate across industries with relative ease. In this article, we outline some common skills that are applicable to multiple industries and will help you attract the attention of hiring managers – even if you are attempting to break into a new industry.
7 Versatile Skills for Nearly Any Job
According to the 2023 Workplace Learning Report by LinkedIn Learning, the following seven transferable skills are among the most desired by employers.
- Management
Regardless of your industry, people management is an integral part of working in any organization. Being able to demonstrate your ability to manage staff and resources in order to lead teams to the successful completion of a project makes you very useful to hiring managers looking to fill any sort of senior position.
Effective management leads to improved team morale and a better bottom line for any business. When trying to fill roles in management, hiring managers are looking for applicants who can make their existing teams more efficient and more satisfied with their jobs, thus improving business outcomes as well as employee retention.
However, management skills are not strictly for those in senior roles. In fact, your current or most recent position may have required you to practice multiple skills relevant to leading people toward desired outcomes. To learn how your experience may add up to management skills, check out our article “Signs You Might Be Management Material”.
- Communication
Communication comes in many forms including written, verbal, and virtual. Communicating well is integral to finding success in whatever industry or job function that you find yourself in. Effective, timely communication fosters collaboration and reduces conflicts by empowering all stakeholders to fulfill their roles with all the necessary information and resources.
Without effective communication between teams and colleagues, processes become backed up, timelines are slowed down, and morale depreciates as team members become jaded by a lack of motivation and connection. Communicating clearly, regardless of your job role, means that you are able to push processes forward and keep everyone on the same page as a project goes through the various stages of development.
- Customer Service
In today’s consumer-centric market, these relational skills are a must for anyone looking to make an impact at a consumer-facing company. Every interaction you have is an opportunity to strengthen brand loyalty and build business reputation.
From the cleanliness of a store to the positive attitude of a cashier, consumers remember these brand experiences and are impacted by their consequences. The same can be said about any non-retail work environment. Possessing the ability to interact with others in a way that leaves them with a positive impression (of you, your work, or your organization) is a soft skill that can set you apart from others.
- Leadership
Similar to management, but also distinct from it, is leadership. The difference between management and leadership is that management is concerned with the present while leadership is focused on the future. A strong leader is able to identify goals, create solid plans of action to achieve those goals, and, most importantly, guide their team toward those goals in a sustainable manner.
Strong leadership skills are relevant to any field or industry as they increase innovation, adaptability, and resilience. Even those who are not leaders on paper can practice leadership skills. From something as small as guiding a team through a presentation or creating a project roadmap for a team’s next product, leaders empower teams by creating a concrete, yet flexible, path toward success.
- Project Management
In any industry, task lists can become unwieldy and indecipherable without proper organization. This is where the importance of project management comes in. Being able to efficiently break down a project into all its basic components and phases is what makes the difference between a project getting stuck in the pipeline instead of being launched on time with stakeholder approval.
From finance to nonprofit to marketing, every industry works on large-scale projects and thus needs individuals who know how to take a project timeline and run with it. Demonstrating strong project management skills shows employers that you not only know how to focus on the small details of your job, but you also know how to focus on the bigger picture – and to complete the work in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.
- Analytical Skills
In today’s digitally connected world, data drives all major decisions. Even if you are working outside of a STEM-related field, being able to collect insights from previous projects and use that data to inform your next project is essential.
The difference between someone who exists inside of their job role and someone who has the potential to grow is the ability to analyze the data you’re presented with in order to make suggestions that impact people outside of their immediate role. Being able to identify trends in data and offer new solutions is a concrete method of expanding your impact across your company. This ability to make data-driven decisions can set you apart from the rest.
- Teamwork
Being able to lead a team also means being able to work well alongside them. In any large organization, milestone goals are only achieved through collective effort – and a positive work environment.
Regardless of industry, teamwork skills can lead you to increased productivity and job satisfaction by building strong relationships among team members. It is much easier to work with someone who demonstrates respect and a collaborative attitude, so demonstrating poor teamwork skills would likely result in you being excluded from any people-focused industry.
Elevate Your Transferable Skills
The 21st century workplace is constantly changing, with new technologies and industries evolving by the minute. This is why it is so important to stay on top of your skill development and sharpen the skills that matter most to employers.
Denison Edge’s industry-focused credential courses are an affordable, innovative way to do just that. Register for a course in order to learn alongside an industry-seasoned expert on the topic of your choice: marketing, finance, supply chain management, and more. Learn more about training options by checking out our programs page today.