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Transferable skills: what they are and how to use them

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Transferable skills: Quick summary

  • Some of the most valuable transferable skills that employers are looking for include good communication, problem-solving, digital literacy and adaptability.
  • You can match your transferable skills to your target role and identify any skill gaps to prepare for your ideal position.
  • Popular industries that value transferable skills for career changers include education, management, healthcare and sales.
  • Transferable skills are useful for both progression and a career change, especially for roles that don't require industry-specific work experience.
  • Postgraduate education can help you develop transferable skills further, and online study means you don't need to pause your current career to increase your knowledge.

Are you looking to develop useful transferable skills?

If you're hoping to progress in your career or are considering a career change, you're likely wondering how to build on your existing skills and strengthen your profile. You may already have more transferable skills than you realise, as they can be gained through volunteering and other projects, as well as through work experience.

In this guide, we'll take you through examples of transferable skills, why employers value them and how you can continue developing your skills.

What are transferable skills?

Transferable skills are valuable skills that can be used across different roles, sectors, and industries. While role-specific technical skills are useful for a particular job or sector, soft skills and transferable skills are extremely valuable for career changes or progression into management. For example, you might use your strong leadership knowledge in a healthcare management role, but could also put it into practice in a management role in another industry.

Let's explore some of the different types of transferable skills, with examples of when they might be used in the workplace.

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The main types of transferable skills

Transferable skillHow this could be usedPotential value to employers

Communication

Clear written communication, speaking with colleagues or customers, raising ideas and delivering presentations.

Can be helpful for building effective working relationships, presenting results and defending plans for progress.

Leadership and people management

Delegating tasks, motivating colleagues and managing performance.

Helps teams work towards shared goals, and is useful for keeping staff motivated.

Problem-solving and critical thinking

Assessing evidence, identifying causes and finding solutions to complex problems.

Shows you can make informed decisions and help organisations respond to challenges.

Organisation, planning and project management

Prioritising work, managing deadlines and monitoring progress.

You'll help work remain structured, and help projects stay on schedule.

Digital and data literacy

Using modern workplace technology, interpreting data and presenting findings.

Helps you work efficiently, adapt to new technologies and make evidence-based decisions.

Adaptability and resilience

Responding to change, learning new processes.

You'll effectively manage changing priorities and unfamiliar situations.

Commercial and financial awareness

Understanding budgets, costs, customers and organisational goals.

You have an understanding of how to steer financial growth and that you're aware of how your decisions affect costs.

Communication

Communication doesn't just mean strong written and verbal skills, but it can also include presenting information clearly and effectively influencing others. You might write a clear report, explain a complex issue to a customer or adapt a presentation for different audiences. Or, it could mean navigating a difficult conversation with a client or stakeholder.

Communicating effectively can help you avoid misunderstandings and work effectively with colleagues, clients and senior leaders.

TS - Management

Leadership and team management

Leadership is not limited to formal management roles, and you may demonstrate it by taking responsibility for a task, supporting a colleague or helping a team work through a busy period. In a management position, these skills can extend to delegating work, handling performance concerns and supporting employee development.

In the 2026 Chartered Management Institute study into skills gaps in the UK, 91% of managers said gaps in early leadership and workplace skills were having a negative effect on workforce performance. This highlights the value of good leadership and management skills in the workplace.

Problem-solving and critical thinking

Problem-solving in the workplace involves working out what has gone wrong and deciding how to respond or solve the situation. You're using critical thinking skills when you assess the available evidence, question assumptions and compare possible solutions.

Have you resolved a customer complaint, improved an inefficient process or made a recommendation based on research? These are all examples of using valuable problem solving and critical thinking skills, and they can be useful to mention when talking to a potential employer.

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Adaptability and resilience

Lots of employers like to see resilience and proof that you will overcome challenges and setbacks that might come with the role. The UK government's 2026 survey on employer views on hiring young people found that almost a third of employers (32%) considered a lack of resilience a challenge when employing young people.

Additionally, the ability to adapt to challenges and changes in your chosen industry helps you to adjust your approach, learn new skills and respond quickly to changes.

Digital and data literacy

Digital literacy means being able to use relevant workplace tools confidently and learn new systems when needed. It also often involves understanding, interpreting and communicating information from data. You might work with spreadsheets, use project management software or analyse performance figures to identify patterns.

Digital literacy can be valuable in many sectors, but is particularly useful for roles in industries like digital marketing, IT, tech, and finance. Digital skills gaps are common among many UK businesses. A BusinessLDN survey found that, among London firms reporting skills gaps, 60% said their workforce lacked advanced digital skills, including AI, and 23% reported gaps in basic digital skills. Find out more about the jobs available in the tech industry.

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Organisation, planning and project management

Many jobs, particularly roles like administration or project management, involve setting objectives, coordinating people or resources and monitoring progress. These skills can be particularly useful when your work involves several teams, deadlines or stages. Or, perhaps you will be leading an important, large project in a new role - having these skills can help you succeed in a similar role, even if it is in a different sector.

Read our guide to becoming a project manager here.

Commercial and financial awareness

Commercial awareness means understanding how an organisation operates, serves its customers and meets its objectives. Financial awareness may include working with budgets, monitoring costs or assessing the likely return on a decision.

These skills can help you understand how your work contributes to organisational performance, and can be very valuable for moving into leadership and senior roles.

Which valuable transferable job skills matter most in senior roles?

As you move into senior roles, employers are likely to place greater value on leadership, strategic thinking and commercial or financial awareness. Senior professionals often need to communicate with different stakeholders, make important decisions and take responsibility for budgets or performance.

Organisation and technical knowledge remain important, but the focus often naturally shifts towards setting priorities, guiding others and making informed decisions. The most valuable skills will still depend on the role, sector and level of responsibility.

Read our full guide to progressing in your career here.

Transferable skills examples by background

Your previous experience may be relevant to more roles than you think, including jobs that may not even be in your current sector. The examples below show skills you may already have from a role and where they could transfer.

  • Teaching or education

    Teachers often have strong communication, organisation and leadership skills. Planning lessons demonstrates great time management skills, the ability to structure information and work towards clear outcomes. Presenting to a class can transfer to training, facilitation or roles that involve explaining complex topics.

    If you've supported pupils with complex needs, skills used in this role, such as compassion, communication and leadership skills, could be beneficial for coaching or mentoring people in a new role. Similarly, working with parents and other professionals could also transfer to stakeholder management skills, as it demonstrates active listening and effective relationship building. Managing a classroom of children can also demonstrate great team leadership and conflict resolution.

    These transferable skills from education may be useful in learning and development, project management, human resources or the charity sector. If you have lots of teaching experience, you might even want to use your transferable skills in a head teacher or consultant role.

  • Nursing or healthcare

    Healthcare professionals are used to working under pressure, communicating sensitively and making informed decisions. Assessing a patient’s needs can demonstrate many transferable skills and soft skills, including critical thinking, good communication and strong attention to detail.

    Maintaining patient records can show great case management, administration skills and knowledge of compliance. Coordinating care with other professionals also shows great teamwork and planning skills, while following clinical procedures can also demonstrate risk awareness and accountability.

    These skills may transfer to healthcare management, clinical research, occupational health or health-related charities. Or, they could benefit you in a completely different industry, such as social care, counselling or an early years education role.

  • Customer service or retail

    Customer service and retail roles can provide strong communication, problem-solving and commercial skills. Helping customers find the right product or resolve a complaint shows that you can listen, understand needs and respond calmly.

    Perhaps you have experience of meeting or exceeding targets in a commission role. This can demonstrate strong commercial awareness and self-motivation. Or maybe you've successfully handled complaints - this could demonstrate conflict resolution and account management skills.

    These skills can often be valuable in sales, recruitment, marketing, customer success, office management or hospitality management.

  • Operations or administration

    Operations and administrative work often requires careful planning, coordination and attention to detail. Managing diaries, records or internal processes shows that you can organise information and keep work moving.

    Many operations or administration jobs involve preparing reports to support roles involving data, compliance or performance monitoring, showing a strong ability to handle data and present results. Possible career options might include project management, business management, human resources, and compliance.

    If you are interested in education and enjoy working with numbers, you might want to consider a school business manager role. Read our guide on becoming a school business manager here.

    Find out more about the career options in business management.

  • Accountancy

    Accountancy experience develops financial awareness, accuracy and analytical thinking. For instance, reviewing financial information shows that you can work with detailed data and explain what it means. Additionally, managing budgets can also demonstrate project management and operations skills that can benefit you in a leadership role.

    Many people use these valuable skills in financial management, business analysis, auditing and compliance, and consultancy or senior operational roles.

  • Sales

    Sales professionals often have strong negotiation skills and commercial awareness. Understanding a customer’s needs and recommending a suitable option can transfer to many client-facing and advisory roles. Or, maybe you've successfully presented proposals to senior management. This can show confidence in raising ideas, which is particularly useful in management and leadership roles where you are trusted to identify problems and make high-level business decisions.

    Skills developed in a sales role may be useful in business development, recruitment, marketing, account management or commercial management.

Returning after a career break

Time away from paid work does not remove the skills gained earlier in your career. In fact, you may also have developed relevant skills during your break through caring responsibilities, volunteering, study or community involvement. Volunteering, for instance, can provide experience of teamwork, fundraising or event coordination.

On the other hand, caring for someone during a career break may have strengthened your communication skills, and the ability to adapt to changing needs. All of these can be valuable in industries like healthcare and education. Where possible, try to focus on specific examples and recent evidence of using your skills. This might even include freelance projects or a course you completed during a career break.

Try to find a role that you are passionate about, and that values your skills and knowledge. To strengthen your confidence further by building on your existing skills, you might want to consider online or part-time postgraduate education.

Two young business professionals discussing the opportunities that an MBA degree opened for their careers

How to identify your own transferable skills

You're likely wondering how to identify your transferable skills and how to put them to use. Here are our tips on working out what your own transferable skills are:

  • Carry out a quick self-audit

    You can start the process by carrying out a simple self-audit. To do this, review past roles and reflect on what your key strengths were, any achievements you had, and useful feedback you've received in previous roles. For example, have you been told in numerous positions that you are excellent at presenting data or ideas to leadership, or have you had good feedback on your ability to manage and motivate a team? Make a note of this, and look for roles you are passionate about that value these skills.

  • Match your past duties to demonstrable skills

    Consider the past duties you've carried out in previous roles, and have a think of the demonstrable skills you developed in each duty and task. You can then provide evidence of this in your CV to stand out in job applications, and have a story to expand on when mentioning these skills in interviews.

    Are you unsure which career is suitable for your next move? Visit our handy career quiz to help you move in the right direction. You can also read our guide on how to progress in your career.

How to use transferable skills to change career

Transferable skills can help you show employers that your previous experience is relevant, even if it comes from a different role or sector. The key is to match what you can already do with what your target role requires.

Review job descriptions for your target role

Start by reviewing several job descriptions for the type of role you want. Note the skills that appear regularly, then compare these with examples from your current or previous work. For instance, if you're a teacher looking for a new challenge, you may have strong presenting, planning and people management skills that could be used in a specialist or consultancy role.

Or, if you work in customer service or retail, you might bring customer insight, sales experience and the ability to work under pressure to an account management role.

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learning-online-degree

Focus on the results you've achieved

When identifying transferable skills for a career change or progression, look beyond job titles and day-to-day tasks. Focus on the problems you have solved, the people you have worked with and the results you have achieved. Could you manage large projects in another role or industry, or motivate a team in a completely different role?

Address any gaps in your knowledge or experience

Now you've likely considered where your skills could be valued, try to find any gaps in your knowledge or experience. Depending on the role, you could address these through:

  • A short course or industry certification
  • Membership of a relevant professional body
  • Volunteering and freelance work in your spare time, or a workplace project
  • A professional qualification
  • Postgraduate study in a relevant subject.

A conversion-style master’s can provide a structured route into a field that differs from your first degree or previous career. It may help you develop subject knowledge, complete relevant projects and explain your career change more clearly to employers. However, it does not guarantee a particular role. Before enrolling, check the course content, entry requirements and likely career routes to make sure they support your goal.

Explore Walbrook's Online MBAs here.

Read our guides to changing careers at 40 for more practical tips on planning your next step.

Which transferable skills are most in demand?

The transferable skills employers value depend on the role, but communication, problem-solving, adaptability and digital literacy are consistently important across the UK labour market. The Skills England annual skills report 2026 highlights these skills as particularly valuable as technology continues to change how people work.

These skills can have a real influence on your luck with recruitment. The Department for Education’s Employer Skills Survey 2024 found that 27% of UK vacancies were difficult to fill because applicants lacked the necessary skills, qualifications or experience.

The skills you need most will ultimately depend on your target career. Make sure to review several current job descriptions and look for recurring requirements, then focus on developing and demonstrating the skills that appear most often.

It's important to support each skill with evidence. The National Careers Service recommends using the STAR method to show the situation, task, action and result behind an example. On a CV, you can use a shortened version that focuses on what you did and the outcome.

For example, instead of writing "good leadership skills", you could say: "I led a team of six colleagues to introduce a new booking process, reducing customer waiting times by 20%."

Your personal statement can then connect your experience with your intended direction. Focus on the value you could bring to a new business.

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How to demonstrate transferable skills in an interview

You might be wondering how to show transferable skills in an interview. Here are our tips for discussing your transferable skills and impressing an interviewer:

  • Structure your answers

    We recommend using structured answers and sticking to the STAR method we mentioned in the above section to avoid getting lost. So, instead of just mentioning the skills and knowledge you gained, try to frame them around how you solved a problem or improved business results using your transferable skills.

  • Match your past duties to demonstrable skills

    Try to frame your career change positively, and place the focus on what you can bring to future roles using transferable skills you already have, rather than putting too much emphasis on the negative parts of your previous role. For example, maybe you've worked in education for a long time and have the compassion and leadership skills to lead an HR team.

    Focus on what you can bring to the role and how it will benefit them, and frame your career change around what has motivated you to join your new field.

    Read our complete guide to progressing in your career here.

How to show transferable skills on your CV

When putting your CV together, place your most relevant transferable skills in your personal statement, employment history and, where useful, a short key skills section near the top of your CV. Tailor these sections to each role rather than sending the same CV to every employer.

It's important to support each skill with evidence. The National Careers Service recommends using the STAR method to show the situation, task, action and result behind an example. On a CV, you can use a shortened version that focuses on what you did and the outcome.

For example, instead of writing "good leadership skills", you could say: "I led a team of six colleagues to introduce a new booking process, reducing customer waiting times by 20%."

Your personal statement can then connect your experience with your intended direction. Focus on the value you could bring to a new business.

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How postgraduate study builds on your transferable skills

An MBA (Master of Business Administration) programme can formalise your leadership skills, strategic thinking and analytical skills through structured study and challenging you to think independently. You can expect to examine real business challenges, assess evidence, and contribute to group discussions.

A master's degree will encourage you to improve your critical thinking and gain a better understanding of working in your chosen industry. You'll also practise research skills and consider different perspectives, applying what you learn to complex problems.

An MBA programme typically covers areas such as business strategy, finance, marketing, managing and leadership and how to apply this knowledge to the workplace. Once you've developed these skills, you can apply them to many different industries and roles, rather than just one specific sector.

Recognised accreditations

Some MBA programmes are CMI-accredited (Chartered Management Institute - accredited), providing you with a highly recognised accreditation that showcases your leadership and management skills. The Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) status, awarded by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), demonstrates that you have developed foundation-level management and leadership skills.

Some course providers allow you to study flexibly online while working, meaning you don't need to leave your work behind and can actively apply your skills to the workplace while studying.

Build on your transferable skills with Walbrook

Develop more transferable skills for the workplace and prepare yourself for a potential senior or leadership role with an online master's course.

At Walbrook, you can enjoy flexible online study, 8-week module blocks, and you'll get access to a 24/7 careers hub that is packed with guidance and resources. You can also choose between studying full or part-time, depending on your commitments and needs.

Choose from a range of MBA programmes, including MBA Artificial Intelligence, MBA Banking and Finance, MBA Cyber Security, and more.

I like that there’s pacing built in the programme to keep you on track, but also the flexibility to fit around work, life and kids! It’s good to see the module structure ahead of time and know what assessments are coming up, and I’ve enjoyed the variety, from discussion posts to video presentations and reports.

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Haley CoatesMBA Student at Walbrook

Transferable skills: FAQs

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*National Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2024