| To be successful in the workplace, employees | | | | Translating |
| have to possess transferable skills. Knowing about | | | | Writing |
| these skills will help teens and adults prepare to be | | | | Communication skills are involved in the other |
| successful in the workplace. Transferable skills are | | | | skills, such as organizational management, human |
| a product of our talents, traits and knowledge. | | | | relations, program administration, research & |
| These skills determine how you respond to new | | | | planning. Organization, management, leadership, |
| activities, work situations or jobs. | | | | and human relations skills are the ability to |
| Transferable skills are non-job specific skills that | | | | supervise, direct and guide individuals and groups in |
| you have acquired during any activity or life | | | | the completion of tasks and fulfillment of goals. |
| experiences. Student activities and experiences | | | | Organization, management and leadership skills |
| include campus and community activities, class | | | | consist of: |
| projects, and assignments, hobbies, athletic | | | | Making decisions |
| activities, internships and summer part-time jobs. | | | | Assuming and delegating responsibility |
| Transferable skills fall into three (3) groups: | | | | Organizing people and tasks |
| Working with people, working with things, and | | | | Negotiating agreements |
| working with data/information. These terms are | | | | Management and administrative skills organize and |
| defined below: | | | | coordinate people, projects and events. As a |
| Working with people skills happen when people sell, | | | | manager, you handle multiple tasks, set priorities, |
| train, advise, and negotiate. | | | | and adapt to changing conditions and work |
| Working with things skills occur when people | | | | assignments. As leaders, you use skills to |
| repair, operate machinery, sketch, survey, or | | | | motivate individuals and groups to assess, |
| troubleshoot. | | | | perform, set goals, evaluate, and follow through |
| Working with data/information skills involve | | | | situations effectively. |
| budgeting, researching, and analyzing. | | | | Managers and leaders use human relations skills. |
| The Secretary's Commission on Achieving | | | | Human relations, interpersonal, or people skills, |
| Necessary Skills (SCANS) is a model for | | | | develop rapport, negotiate, and help people |
| transferable skills resources and web sites. In | | | | overcome their differences. |
| 1990, a commission of schools, government, | | | | In addition to human relations skills, managers and |
| unions, and corporations developed five SCAN | | | | leaders need planning and reasoning skills. Program |
| competencies and three SCAN foundation skills. | | | | administration, research and planning are essential |
| The Five Competencies are: Resources, | | | | when you gather information, analyze data, |
| information, interpersonal, systems, and | | | | present ideas, and generate solutions. |
| technology. | | | | Analyzing, planning, and reasoning skills are used in |
| The meanings of the competencies are: | | | | the field of research. Research skills help you |
| Resources competencies describe the allocation of | | | | search for specific knowledge, determine future |
| time, money, material resources, facility | | | | needs, investigate and record findings, find |
| resources, and human resources. | | | | answers, and evaluate strategies. |
| Information competencies involve acquiring, | | | | Besides planning and reasoning skills, problem |
| evaluating, organizing, maintaining, interpreting, | | | | solving and creativity activities involve the ability |
| communicating and processing information. | | | | to find solutions to problems using experiences, |
| Interpersonal competencies include team | | | | information, and available resources. Problem |
| participation, teaching, customer services, | | | | solving and goal setting involve assessing a |
| leadership, negotiation, and cultural diversity. | | | | situation, gathering information, identifying key |
| Systems competencies work with understanding | | | | issues, anticipating problems, and generating |
| systems, performance monitoring, and systems | | | | multiple solutions. |
| designs. | | | | Transferable skills are also called Soft Skills. Simon |
| Technology competencies involve the selection, | | | | Fraser University, a leader in management |
| application, maintenance, and troubleshooting of | | | | education, lists the ten (10) Soft Skills: |
| technology. | | | | 1. Adaptability |
| Besides competencies, there are three (3) | | | | 2. Communication |
| Foundation Skills: Basic, thinking, and personal | | | | 3. Dedication |
| qualities. The terms are explained below. | | | | 4. Dependability |
| Basic skills involve reading, writing, arithmetic, | | | | 5. Energy |
| mathematics, listening, and speaking. | | | | 6. Flexibility |
| Thinking skills include creative thinking, decision | | | | 7. Hard-working |
| making, problem solving, seeing things in the | | | | 8. Honesty |
| mind's eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning. | | | | 9. Integrity |
| Personal qualities are responsibility, self esteem, | | | | 10. Leadership |
| sociability, self-management, and integrity/honesty | | | | There are free surveys, activities, and exercises |
| Universities and professional organizations, such as | | | | that help identify your transferable skills. Examples |
| California State University, Rochester Institute of | | | | of resources include: |
| Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, | | | | Identify Transferable Skills Exercise |
| Quintessential Careers, and the National | | | | Identifying Transferable Skills in Career Planning |
| Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) | | | | Identify Your Transferable Skills Survey |
| agree these transferable skills are important. | | | | Transferable Skills Checklist |
| These organizations have created transferable | | | | Transferable Skills Exercise |
| skills surveys, exercises, and web sites. | | | | Transferable Skills Guidebook |
| The National Association of Colleges and | | | | Transferable Skills Survey |
| Employers (NACE) is a professional association | | | | Resources: |
| connects more than 5,200 college career services | | | | Binghamton University, State University of New |
| professionals at nearly 2,000 college and | | | | York, Career Development Center, LSG 500, PO |
| universities nationwide, and more than 3,000 HR | | | | Box 6000, Binghamton, New York, 13902-6000, |
| staffing professionals focused on college relations | | | | 607-777-2400 |
| and recruiting. NACE has compiled the twenty (20) | | | | Career Center California State University, Chico |
| top personal qualities/skills that employers | | | | Chico, CA 95929-0700, (530) 898-5253 |
| requested the most: | | | | Career Center, Student Affairs, Carnegie Mellon |
| 1. Analytical skills | | | | University 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2. Communication Skills | | | | 15213 |
| 3. Computer skills | | | | Identify Transferable Skills Exercise. Career |
| 4. Creativity | | | | Development Services, A Division of |
| 5. Detail-oriented | | | | Undergraduate Studies, Auburn University, 303 |
| 6. Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker | | | | Mary Martin Hall, Auburn, Alabama 36849, (334) |
| 7. Flexibility/adaptability | | | | 844:4744 |
| 8. Friendly/outgoing personality | | | | Identifying Transferable Skills in Career Planning. |
| 9. Honesty/integrity | | | | William E. Simon Graduate School of Business |
| 10. Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) | | | | Administration, University of Rochester, |
| 11. Leadership and management skills | | | | Rochester, NY 14627:0107 |
| 12. Motivation/initiative | | | | Identify Your Transferable Skills. Career Center |
| 13. Organizational and time management skills | | | | University of South Carolina H. WILLIAM CLOSE |
| 14. Real Life Experiences | | | | (BA) BLDG., 6th FL. |
| 15. Self-confidence | | | | Job Outlook 2007, What employers want (and |
| 16. Strong work ethic | | | | you need to have), National Association of |
| 17. Tactfulness | | | | Colleges and Employers, 62 Highland Avenue, |
| 18. Teamwork skills (works well with others) | | | | Bethlehem, PA 18017-9085, 800/544-5272 |
| 19. Technical Skills | | | | Quintessential Careers, DeLand, FL 32720 |
| 20. Well-mannered/polite | | | | Rochester Institute of Technology, Office of |
| Communication skills are the most popular skills | | | | Cooperative Education and Career Services, 57 |
| listed on the web sites. Communication deals with | | | | Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, |
| speaking effectively, writing concisely, listening | | | | 585.475.2301 |
| attentively, and other abilities that result in the | | | | Transferable Skills Checklist. Missouri State |
| expression, transmission and interpretation of | | | | University, Career Center, Carrington 309, Glass |
| knowledge and ideas. Communication skills help | | | | 103, 901 S. National, Springfield, Missouri 65897, |
| you communicate what you know. Examples of | | | | 877:836:JOBS |
| communication skills include: | | | | Transferable Skills Exercise. Wisconsin Job Center, |
| Collaborating | | | | 201 E. Washington Avenue, Madison WI 53702 |
| Forecasting | | | | Transferable Skills Guidebook. Simon Fraser |
| Negotiating | | | | University (SFU) BUSINESS, Career Management |
| Projecting | | | | Centre, 2361, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, |
| Publicized | | | | British Columbia, Canada, V5A 1S6 |
| Selling ideas, products or services | | | | Transferable Skills Survey. |
| Speaking | | | | |