“Highlight your transferable skills.”
If you’ve ever considered changing careers, pivoting to a new industry, or reentering the workforce after a break, you’ve probably heard that advice. It sounds simple and useful. But let’s be honest. Most people aren’t exactly sure what transferable skills really are. And more importantly, they aren’t sure how to show them in a way that actually helps them land a job.
So let’s talk about it.
Transferable skills are exactly what they sound like. They are the skills you’ve developed in one job, industry, or experience that can carry over into another. These skills are valuable because they show your potential to succeed in a new environment, even if your past job titles or industries don’t match the one you’re targeting.
There are two types of transferable skills. Soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills include things like communication, adaptability, collaboration, and critical thinking. They are important in almost every job, and they can help you stand out. But they also tend to be vague unless you connect them to a clear example or result.
Hard skills, on the other hand, are more concrete. These might include budget management, hiring and training, CRM systems, data analysis, or process improvement. They are easier to quantify and are often easier to relate to a job description. Especially when you’re pivoting careers, hard skills can give your resume more credibility and clarity.
But here’s the catch. Listing transferable skills isn’t enough. It’s not enough to say, “strong communication skills” or “experienced in project coordination.” You need to frame your skills in a way that helps a hiring manager connect the dots. You have to show how your experience in one area will help you succeed in another.
That’s where most job seekers get stuck. So let’s walk through some real-world examples.
Career Changer: Retail Manager → Project Coordinator
Many retail professionals have the core skills to move into project coordination roles. But simply listing tasks from retail won’t get their foot in the door. It takes the right framing.
Here’s how that might look on a resume:
Led a 10-person team through daily operations and seasonal transitions using scheduling software to optimize coverage and productivity
Monitored supply levels and coordinated weekly restocking with vendors, improving efficiency and minimizing delays
Resolved high-priority customer escalations and implemented a new process to reduce future complaints
These examples show leadership, vendor management, problem-solving, and process improvement. Those are all directly relevant to project coordination. This framing tells a story and demonstrates results. It allows the hiring manager to picture the person succeeding in the new role.
Career Changer: Educator → Learning & Development Specialist
Teachers often have an incredible foundation for roles in corporate learning and development. But that doesn’t mean the connection is always obvious.
Here’s how a teacher might frame their experience for an L&D role:
Designed engaging, goal-oriented learning materials tailored to diverse learning styles
Led daily instruction, progress tracking, and assessments for 150+ students with a focus on measurable outcomes
Mentored new teachers and led professional development sessions to support team effectiveness
In this case, the examples translate to instructional design, performance tracking, and internal training. All of those are directly tied to learning and development work in a corporate setting.
Career Changer: Nurse → Healthcare Sales Rep
Clinicians often want to move into the business side of healthcare. One common path is healthcare sales. Nurses and other clinical staff have a deep understanding of patient care, which gives them strong credibility with providers. But they need to frame their experience in a way that highlights communication, stakeholder management, and influence.
Here’s how that could be done:
Delivered compassionate, outcomes-based care while educating patients and families on treatment plans and benefits
Collaborated cross-functionally with physicians, case managers, and insurance reps to support patient success
Advocated for timely resource delivery and medical equipment, ensuring continuity of care
These examples demonstrate relationship-building, communication, and problem-solving in complex, high-pressure environments. That is exactly what healthcare sales reps need to succeed.
Once you start looking at your own experience through this lens, you’ll find more transferable skills than you expect. The key is to focus on what you did, not just where you did it. You are not limited to your job title. Your skills go much deeper.
So how do you identify your own transferable skills?
Start by asking yourself a few questions.
What tools, systems, or platforms have I used that are also used in other industries? For example, maybe you’ve used Salesforce, QuickBooks, or Zoom. These tools show up in all kinds of workplaces.
When have I solved a problem, improved a process, or helped a team succeed? These kinds of experiences highlight critical thinking, initiative, and collaboration.
Have I managed people, projects, vendors, or budgets? Even if your title didn’t include the word “manager,” you may have taken on leadership responsibilities.
What do people always rely on me for, no matter the job? Think about your reputation among coworkers and leaders. Are you known for your reliability, your organization, your creativity?
Once you answer those questions, look for ways to bring those skills to life. Avoid generic statements like “strong communicator.” Instead, show what that looked like in action. For example, you might say, “Delivered weekly presentations to department leaders and cross-functional partners to align on project status and risks.”
You can do the same with soft skills. If you want to highlight adaptability, don’t just write the word. Describe a time when you had to take on a new responsibility with little notice and delivered a strong result.
One important thing to remember is that the person reading your resume or LinkedIn profile might not be from your current industry. They may not understand your acronyms or internal systems. Make your experience accessible. Use language that focuses on outcomes and skills that are universal.
If you’re making a career change, it is your job to help the hiring manager see how your past experience prepares you to succeed in this new role. That’s not their job. It’s yours. But with the right framing, you can do exactly that.
Transferable skills are real. They are powerful. But only if you take the time to frame them in a way that connects to the job you want. When done well, they can open doors you didn’t think were possible.
So if you’re trying to change industries or find a new path, don’t downplay what you bring to the table. Just focus on showing how your experience translates. You already have more to work with than you think.