"The skills required (in arts fields) are among the 'most transferable' to a wide
variety of occupations, and it is arguable that the skills developed in
art, music, dance, drama, literature, and writing classes are the very
skills that enable workers to use creativity to find ways to work more
productively…"
~J. Paul Getty Trust study
Transferable Skills are
non-job specific skills which can be used in different occupations. You may
have developed them through course work, jobs, internships, volunteering,
or just plain life experience. By communicating your transferable skills
effectively, you can enhance your marketability and open yourself up to a
larger sector of the job market. This handout is designed to help you identify,
promote and develop your transferable skills.
Step
One: Identify the skills you have
Though you may be searching
for your first job or internship, you already posses many of the skills employers
consider most valuable. Think about skills you have used in coursework, critiques,
jobs, performances, internships and extra-curricular activities. Browse through
the following list and identify your strong points.
Management/Administrative
Skills
Think about the skills you have used to organize and coordinate people, projects
and events. Can you:
- Plan and arrange
- Delegate responsibility
- Bring order out of confusion
- Attend to visual detail
- Assess and evaluate
your own work as well as that of classmates or coworkers
- Use databases or software
to organize and present information
- Remain flexible-see
obstacles as a challenge rather than a setback
- Manage multiple tasks
- Identify and manage
ethical issues
Communication Skills
To succeed in your courses or on the job, you must be able to communicate what
you know, either orally or in writing. Can you:
- Listen-answer questions,
provide information, accept input
- Write correspondence,
reports, records, and technical or specialized documents
- Present information
to large and small groups
- Persuade-give recommendations,
convince others to adopt your ideas
- Negotiate-settle disagreements,
or help others to see all sides of a situation
- Read or speak another
language
- Express yourself confidently
and creatively
- Communicate electronically-use
the web and email to present and
exchange information
Research Skills
You know by now that research is a crucial part of any paper or class project;
what you might not know is that you can use your research skills on the
job. Can you:
- Identify and classify
information-figure out where to find an answer
and search for details
- Investigate and record
findings
- Determine a hierarchy
of tasks even when not given a designated starting point
- Work diligently and
patiently
- Manage obstacles-be
persistent and resourceful
- Use CD-ROM and on-line
databases
- Use the web to conduct
research
Human Relations Skills
Working together isn't always easy. Human relations skills, or "people skills," are
some of the most valued skills in the workplace because these skills not only
help people overcome their differences, they help them make the most of their
diverse opinions and interests. Think about the times you've collaborated on
a project. Can you:
- Lead or direct a team
- Appraise and evaluate
others' work
- Resolve problems and
conflicts
- Motivate people into
action
- Encourage others to
do their best
- Use intuition to understand
and respond to the work environment and people's needs
- Work well with people
from a range of backgrounds
- Teach or train peers
as well as students
Problem-Solving Skills
Coursework requires mental gymnastics. Your studies have taught you to integrate
large quantities of information, to read between the lines, and to grasp
complex problems. You can use these same upper-level thinking skills to find
and implement solutions in the workplace. Can you:
- Analyze problems
- Grapple with abstract
issues
- Define and expand issues
- Identify several solutions
to the same problem and choose the
appropriate alternative
- Create new ways to solve
on-going concerns- subvert the
dominant paradigm
- Use critical judgment
to determine cause and effect relationships
- Set and attain goals
- Innovate-think "outside
the box"
STEP
TWO: Identify the skills employers are seeking
Now that you have identified the skills you have, see how they compare with the
skills employers in your field of interest are seeking. Here are some sources
that may help you:
Contact Alumni
Identify graduates in your field and talk
to them about their early job experiences. The following resources will help
you to locate Carnegie Mellon alums who are willing to help:
- Career Contact and Alumni
Network (through TartanTrak)
- Alumni information through
your home department at Carnegie Mellon
Read Classified Advertisements
Search print and electronic advertisements to determine what kind of skills
employers are seeking. Look at subheadings like "qualifications," "responsibilities
and duties," and "job description" for phrases which describe
your skill sets. Pay close attention to the wording-these advertisements
often use succinct verbiage which you can borrow to most effectively describe
your skills. The following websites are a good place to start:
Consult Professional
Associations
Professional associations-organizations that represent and serve professionals
in a specialized field-often publish superb career development guides on-line
or in print. They may also support their own specialized job database. Here
are some good places to start:
Speak with Employers
No one knows what employers want better than the employers themselves. Capitalize
on every opportunity you have to speak with employers about their expectations,
and the types of jobs in your field. The following campus and off-campus
events provide great opportunities to speak with employers:
STEP
THREE: Learn how to communicate the skills you have
Now that
you have matched your skills with the skills employers are seeking, practice
communicating your skills. Preparing answers to commonly-asked questions
will help you market your skills in an interview:
- Describe a situation
in which you had to draw a conclusion quickly and take immediate action.
- Describe
a time when you had to work with a group to get something accomplished.
- Describe
a situation where you felt it necessary to be attentive to your environment.
- Tell
me about a time in which you were very persistent in order to reach your
goals.
- Describe the most difficult person you ever had to work
with.
- Describe a time when you felt it was necessary to modify
or change your actions in order to respond to the needs of another person.
- Give
me an example of an important goal you set and tell me about your progress
in reaching it.
- Describe the most significant
written document, report, project, or presentation that you've completed.
STEP FOUR: Continue
to develop your skills
Naturally, no one becomes
the perfect job candidate overnight. But, even before you begin your first
job, you can continue to develop your skills. Take the incentive to pursue
leadership roles. Here are some ways you can build your skills:
- Become involved in campus
life. Carnegie Mellon students organize exhibitions, run job fairs, and
orchestrate festivals-employers know leadership experience on campus can
translate into the workplace.
- Pursue volunteer and internship opportunities.
- Be an active
employee. If you are working at a campus job or internship, don't surf
the web in your spare time. Ask your employers what else you can do to
help, and them know you're looking for a challenge.
- Immerse yourself in
class projects-take on challenging roles that will showcase your talents.
Additional
Resources
Library
- Bolles, Richard Nelson What
Color is Your Parachute?. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA 1996.
*
- Camenson, Blyth. Great Jobs for Art Majors.
VGM Career Horizons: Chicago 1997.*
- Eberts, Marjorie and Margaret Gisler. Careers
for Culture Lovers & Other
Artsy Types. VGM Career Horizons: Chicago 1992.
- Maisel, Eric PhD. A
Life in the Arts. Penguin Putnam Inc.: New York 1994.
*Available in the Career Center Library.
Career Center
- Career Consultants -
Call (412) 268-2064 to schedule an appointment with your
career consultant.
- Strong Interest Indicator
- Make an appointment to take this evaluation through your career consultant.
Web-based
Material
based in part on "Artists and Designers Transferable Skills" by
Duane Seidensticker, of the Placement/Career Services, Milwaukee Institute
of Art & Design, for the 10th Annual Career Issues in Art & Design
Conference.
