Transferable skills are exactly what they sound like: the skills that you use in every job, no matter the title or the field. Some transferable skills are hard skills, like coding, data analysis, or other technical skills, and some are soft skills like communication and relationship building.
Think of transferable skills as part of your career tool belt. No matter what you learned in school or at a previous job, transferable skills are what every worker gains from each career experience, including volunteering, internships, freelance jobs, and more. They are the skills that you can use in any professional setting.
Doug Ebertowski, a Career Coach at FlexJobs, offers this example. “Assume you have a background in business development and you find a project manager position you want to pursue. Even though your previous job title sounds different, you likely spent time planning, developing processes and timelines, and organizing a team to reach your goals. Those are the transferable skills that can help you land the new job.”