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Transferable Skills

transferable skills General skills that apply to or transfer to a variety of settings. Examples include solid oral and listening abilities, leadership skills, critical thinking, and problem solving.

Transferable skills are skills that are general and apply to or transfer to a variety of settings. By category, these transferable skills are as follows:

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Communication skills that demonstrate solid oral and listening abilities in addition to a good foundation in the basic content skill of writing (see Chapter 10)
Presentation skills, including the ability to justify and persuade as well as the ability to respond to questions and serious critiques of your presentation material
Leadership skills, or the ability to take charge or relinquish control according to the needs of the organization
Team skills, or the ability to work collaboratively with different people while maintaining autonomous control over some assignments
Interpersonal skills, or the ability to relate to others, inspire others to participate, or ease conflict between coworkers (see Chapter 3)
Personal traits, including showing initiative and motivation, being adaptable to change, having a work ethic, being reliable and honest, possessing integrity, knowing how to plan and organize multiple tasks, and being able to respond positively to customer concerns
Critical thinking and problem solving, or the ability to identify problems and their solutions by integrating information from a variety of sources and effectively weighing alternatives (see Chapter 5)

Transferable skills are valuable to many kinds of employers and professions. They give you flexibility in your career planning because you gain transferable skills through a variety of activities. For example, volunteer work, study abroad, involvement in a student professional organization or club, and the pursuit of hobbies or interests can all build teamwork, leadership, interpersonal awareness, and effective communication abilities. Internships and career-related work are also valuable opportunities to practice these skills in the real world.