Transferable Skills

by Debbie Vasen | More from this Blogger

02 Jul 2008 09:33 PM

There are times in our career we might feel stuck in a job. Maybe we have a specific job in a specific company. Maybe we have only worked in one type of industry. Maybe you have had the same type of job your whole life. In these scenarios, we can feel trapped. We feel like we would have to start over in order to change our careers.

While sometimes a brand new start can be nice, it can also be time-consuming and costly. If you need a fresh break from your chosen profession and don't want to completely start over, it is time to start to evaluate your transferable skills. You may not realize this... even if you have a highly specific job (like a tax attorney) or have always worked in the same industry (like logging)... you can still use the skills you have in another career.

The key is to consider why you want a change. If you are an attorney for example, you have skills in law as well as skills such as detail analysis, client relations, and document processing. However, if what you hate is the client relations, you wouldn't want to use that skill to apply to another job. The first step is to evaluate why you want to change your job. Then determine what skills you possess that you could use in a job you would prefer.

Once you have a good grasp of where you want to go, then you can evaluate what you already have to get you there. Many specific skills can be translated into another profession. It is all how you look at it and how you present it to a future employer.

If you hope to make a drastic change, and don't want to go back to square one, take the time to meet with a professional career counselor. He or she can sit down with you and evaluate your specific skills and future desires.

Related Articles:

*What Are Hard and Soft Skills?

*College Majors and Jobs

*Where Is My Perfect Job?

Learn more about Debbie Vasen

Debbie Vasen is a published web content editor and writer, as well as a freelance writer for various print publications. In addition to blogging at Families.

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