transferable skills

Meaning

1. 1nounplural

   Abilities, such as communication or organizing time, that are useful in many different jobs or situations, not just the one where they were learned.

   Grammar: Almost always plural: transferable skills, not a transferable skill, except when singled out.

   Patterns

   • transferable skills from something
   • transferable skills for something

   Teaching gave her transferable skills like public speaking and patience.

   Employers look for transferable skills when you change careers.

   Volunteering helped him build transferable skills in teamwork.

Common combinations

develop transferable skills

Students develop transferable skills through group projects.

highlight transferable skills

Highlight your transferable skills on your resume.

gain transferable skills

She gained transferable skills during her internship.

key transferable skills

Leadership is one of the key transferable skills.

list transferable skills

Try to list transferable skills from past jobs.

Synonyms and how they differ

soft skills

Soft skills means people-related qualities such as empathy, while transferable skills can also be technical, like writing or data analysis.

core skills

Core skills are basics everyone needs, not necessarily those carried to a new job.

general skills

General skills is vaguer, while transferable skills stresses use in a new setting.

portable skills

Portable skills is less common but has the same idea, usually in career advice.

Opposites

Word family

transfer verb

to move from one place or job to another

transferable adjective

able to be moved or used elsewhere

transferability noun

the quality of being usable elsewhere

skill noun

an ability that comes from practice or training

Commonly confused: transferable skills or transferrable?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “transferable skills”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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