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Identifying Your Transferable Skills

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About Your Facilitator:�Chris Westbrook

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Course Objectives

By the end of this workshop you should be able to

  • Conduct a skills self-inventory
  • Identify your transferable skills
  • Align your skills to new opportunities
  • Describe how you have applied your skills using the STAR method

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Mindset is everything

Change is such hard work.

-- Billy Crystal

People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude

-- John C. Maxwell

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.�― Albert Einstein

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change

-- Stephen Hawking

If you never change your mind, why have one? -- Edward de Bono

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.

-- W. Edwards Deming

There is nothing permanent except change.

-- Heraclitus

Flexibility is an art of creating way outs within the cul-de-sacs!

― Mehmet Murat Ildan, Playwright

You can’t go through life saying “I hate mustard” because that is shutting off the possibility of change.�― Alexander McCall Smith, Author

“A tree that is unbending is easily broken in a powerful storm. But not grass.” Scratching the scar at the corner of one eye he added , “Or so says some guy named Lao Tzu.” ― Kazuki Kaneshiro, Author

Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly by their attitudes. -- E. F. Schumacher

I will not take “but” for an answer. -- Langston Hughes

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Conducting a Self-Inventory

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Defining Your Value

  • Personal qualities
  • Academic credentials
  • Unique skills and experiences
  • Transferable skills
  • Technical/Occupational Skills

  • Don’t overlook your volunteer/community experience

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Assessing Your Aptitude

  • Learning
  • Can do with some help
  • Can do with no help
  • Can do and teach others
  • Evidence?
    • Ideally, it’s more than a degree

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Skill Assessment

Skill

Learning

Do with some help

Do with no help

Do and Teach

Evidence

xxxxx

yyyyy

zzzzz

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Identifying Your Transferable Skills

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The 7 Transferable Skills to Help You Change Careers from Martin Yate

  • Digital Literacy
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Multitasking
  • Interpersonal
  • Creativity
  • Leadership

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Transferable Skill: Digital and Data Literacy

Smart phone

Computer

Data analytics and visualization

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Transferable Skill: Communication

What you say and how you say it…

  • Verbal skills
  • Writing skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Technological communication

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Transferable Skill: Critical Thinking

  • Observation
  • Analysis
  • Inference
  • Communication
  • Problem-Solving

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Transferable Skill: Multitasking

  • Being organized
  • Establishing priorities
  • Managing your time
  • Mastering plan, do, check, and act cycle

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Transferable Skills: Interpersonal

  • Communication
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Team-Working
  • Negotiation, persuasion, and influence skills
  • Conflict management
  • Problem-solving and decision-making

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Transferable Skill: Creativity

  • Expertise
  • Creative Thinking
  • Motivation

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Transferable Skill: Leadership

  • The most complex of transferable skills
  • No one is born a leader; leaders are self made…and it’s hard work!

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Transferable Skills? So What?!

So who makes the case that your skills transfer to the job you are applying for?

You do!

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Aligning Your Skills to New Opportunities

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I’ve only worked in…

Retail

  • Interpersonal
  • Communication
  • Customer service
  • Problem-solving
  • Sales
  • Specialized knowledge: display? furniture? kitchens?
  • Leadership?

Manufacturing

  • Computer
  • Quality monitoring and evaluation (critical thinking!)
  • Production planning
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership?

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I’ve only worked in…

Construction

  • Computer skills, computer-aided design?
  • Purchasing and materials management
  • Project costing
  • Project management
  • Transportation
  • Logistics
  • Supervision

Social Services

  • Interpersonal
  • Communication
  • Customer relations
  • Project management
  • Finance and budgeting?

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Transferable skills from parenting? You bet!

  • Critical thinking
  • Creativity
  • Collaboration
  • Innovative thinking
  • Adaptability
  • Flexibility
  • Empathy

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What else can I do?

Teacher

  • School Administration
  • Standardized Test Developer
  • Homeschool Consultant
  • Corporate Trainer
  • Curriculum Designer
  • Instructional Designer
  • Education Policy and Research
  • Curriculum Representative/Sales
  • Textbook Author
  • Career Counselor

Source: https://www.collegeconsensus.com/resources/career/alternative-education-jobs/

Project Manager

  • Program Manager
  • General Manager
  • Account Manager
  • Account Executive
  • Business Developer
  • Superintendent
  • Director of Operations

Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/project-manager-career-change

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A Case Study

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Developing Winning Interview Responses

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The STAR Method

Situation

Task

Action

Result

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STAR Example

When I was a project manager at ABC Company, my boss asked me to draft a proposal to purchase a cost-projection tool I recommended to him. The quarterly budget meeting was in only three days!

So, I got the sales rep for the tool to send me the specs and cost data for the tool compared to its three biggest competitors. I used my professional network to get feedback from other companies who used the tool. I provided my boss with a one-page memo to brief his request at the budget meeting. I also included a list of likely questions and answers.

My boss told me the management team approved the purchase not only for our team but for project teams across our division.

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STAR Example

At XYZ Company, I took over a software development team whose previous boss had retired as one of the company’s most-loved people. Team members were experienced at their jobs and made it clear I could never measure up to my predecessor.

During the first three months, I asked lots of questions, sat in on my developers’ meetings with clients, and made a point to have weekly one-on-ones with each of them. I secured funding for the team to attend a professional conference, and I made sure they all had individual development plans.

When the company conducted its annual engagement survey, I ended up rated as one of the top three supervisors. Further, my team secured the most repeat business from customers of any team in the company.

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STAR Example

When I was 16 years old, I was in a bad automobile accident and hospitalized with multiple injuries. My mother spoke no English, so I had to manage my own medical care.

During the next six months, I worked with five different specialists treating my injuries. No single doctor was coordinating my care, so I had to analyze and make decisions about surgery, physical therapy, and drug therapy. I learned to take lots of notes and prepare specific questions before meeting with my busy doctors. I found nurses and lab techs willing to answer more questions.

I am happy to say that I am now fully recovered from the accident. I used my new skills in research, analysis, and communication skills I gained to make it to a national debating competition during my senior year of high school

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STAR Tips

  • Remember: No hypotheticals! Use real examples
  • Draft using a four-column worksheet and bullets

  • Vary your examples
  • Be relevant to the job you’re applying for
  • Cite a complex situation

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STAR Stories

Comptency

Situation

Task

Actions

Result

aaaaa

bbbbb

ccccc

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Course Objectives

By the end of this workshop you should be able to

  • Conduct a skills self-inventory
  • Identify your transferable skills
  • Align your transferable skills to job announcements
  • Describe how you have applied your skills using the STAR method

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Mindset is everything

Change is such hard work.

-- Billy Crystal

People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude

-- John C. Maxwell

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.�― Albert Einstein

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change

-- Stephen Hawking

If you never change your mind, why have one? -- Edward de Bono

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.

-- W. Edwards Deming

There is nothing permanent except change.

-- Heraclitus

Flexibility is an art of creating way outs within the cul-de-sacs!

― Mehmet Murat Ildan, Playwright

You can’t go through life saying “I hate mustard” because that is shutting off the possibility of change.�― Alexander McCall Smith, Author

“A tree that is unbending is easily broken in a powerful storm. But not grass.” Scratching the scar at the corner of one eye he added, “Or so says some guy named Lao Tzu.” ― Kazuki Kaneshiro, Author

Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly by their attitudes. -- E. F. Schumacher

I will not take “but” for an answer. -- Langston Hughes

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Last thing I’ll say?

Let me know when you get that job!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinewestbrook/

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Resources

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Questions?

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Thank you for your time and attention