There are two types of transferable skills:  (1) skills that are required of most any positions (2) what the armed services term as "like" skills in the civilian marketplace.  We are going to discuss the former in this entry and will do a special entry for transitioning service members in the weeks to come.

So what the heck are transferable skills anyway and are they really that important.  I would say it depends on how badly you want to work.  Transferable skills can be used as the tipping point when all other factors are equal. 

Let's say you are currently a deputy dispatcher for an emergency hotline.  Your primary duties might include:

- supervision of phone operators
- receiving calls requiring emergency services
- providing customer service to walk-in traffic
- dispatching first responders
- relaying information between callers and first responders

So primarily you are working the phones and assisting team members.  Now ask yourself:

- Did you get trained?
- Do you train others?
- Do you interview people?
- Do you make others feel welcome?
- Do you draft and then report details?
- Do you calm callers down?
- Does your job involve stress?
- Are you willing to stay on the line after your shift ends to complete a call?
- Are you able to separate fact from fiction?
- Are you able to receive information, initiate a plan of action, coordinate the plan and follow through to execution of the plan?

OK, the last question was a bit leading but it helps define what skills might be transferable.  You have to think about ALL the many things you do to complete your tasks.  What are the things that make you successful?

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to deal with external and internal stressors and deliver timely results.
- Ability to train others in communication equipment and situational protocol.
- Willing to exert personal resources in order to satisfy the customer.
- Focused on detail, delivering consistent and concise feedback.

All of the sudden you are now the top candidate because you are bring all these other skills to the table that the employer didn't even know they needed.

Leanne King
President, SeeKing HR

So you are looking for a job and decided to refine your resume to highlight your best qualities but you wonder, "Do I lead with my degree or my work experience?"  I suggest going back to the job posting and see what it says.  Does the employer REQUIRE a degree?  Does the employer REQUIRE seven years experience making a very specific widget or operating a particular phone system?  Take your cue from the employer's posting.

If you still aren't sure, lead with your strongest quality.  For example, if the position requires a degree, but not in a specific discipline and your degree is otherwise considered unrelated (like you have an engineering degree and you are applying for a finance position) then lead with your experience.  On the other hand, the position requires nine years experience in music theory and appreciation and you only have six years, but have you a degree in music with a minor in fine arts then lead with the degree. 

A simple and widely accepted format for functional resumes is:  Identifier Information in the Header, Summary of Experience, Accomplishments by Discipline, Education and Professional Development, Work History (jobs you have held, title, where and when), Credentials & Licensing and Associations.  If you prefer the more traditional chronological resume your format would be something like:  Identifier Information in the Header, Summary of Experience, Work history with accomplishments, Education & Professional Development, Credentials & Licensing and Associations.

If you would like more tips on drafting an uber spectacular resume - keep reading future installments of the blog.  We are working on a series of entries to help novice resume writers become the talk of the town.

Leanne King
President, SeeKing HR

Like it or not, people hire people they like.  Being liked means you first have to get invited for an interview. What you put down on paper speaks volumes about you.  Are you clean and neat?  Do you care about details?  Are you straightforward?  Can you hold you own in a difficult conversation?  What really matters on a resume is whether or not you are able to clearly articulate your understanding of the required skills as noted in the job posting.  Paying attention to details has never been so important.

Wondering about the details and what might get you noticed . . . typos will certainly get you noticed for all the wrong reasons.  What about white space?  Do you have any?  Do you know what white space is?  For those who don't white space is the unused areas on your resume that allow an interviewer to make a note or flag a question.  Good use of white space includes having clean margins that leave a minimum of ½ inch and no more than 1.5 inch around the border.  ALWAYS sacrifice a little white space rather than having one or two sentences on the next page. 

Formatting is important too.  We could talk all day about formatting.  Use an easy to read and easily transferable font.  All the glitz and glam on a resume make for really bad copies.  Try not to use tables and a bunch of tabs - they don't always look the same when they bounce over to someone else's pc or applicant tracking system.

Let's close with consistency - consistency of language.  Utilize as much as possible active verbs in the past tense - meaning you accomplishED something.  Managed, led, oversaw, revisited, authored, arranged, coordinated, provided, divided, improved, achieved, decreased . . . you get the idea.  Consistency of language will demonstrate your writing skills, which will absolutely be tested at some point during the interview process.

Leanne King
President, SeeKing HR