---
title: "Transferable Skills: Find Yours and Use Them"
description: "How to spot the skills you already have that carry into a new career, with examples by job and how to show them on a resume."
url: https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/transferable-skills/
updated: 2026-10-09
site: CareerDirecting
---

Career change · Skills

# Transferable skills You are not starting from zero.

Use what you know

The skills that made you good at your last job do not disappear when you change fields. Dealing with angry customers, keeping a schedule, training new hires: employers in almost every field want those. The trick is naming them in their language.

In short

Transferable skills are abilities you can take from one job to another, such as communication, problem solving, time management, customer service, leading a team and working safely. To find yours, list what you actually do on a busy day, then match each task to the skills a new field asks for in job ads. Use those words on your resume.

**Job numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics** Updated October 9, 2026. Pay figures are national medians and are not a promise of what you will earn.

**On this page**

1. [ A quick way to find yours](#s-a-quick-way-to-find-yours)
2. [Examples by background](#s-examples-by-background)
3. [Free tools that help](#s-free-tools-that-help)
4. [Questions people ask](#s-faq)

## A quick way to find yours

1. Write down everything you did on your last busy shift.
2. Next to each task, write the skill behind it. "Calmed a customer whose order was wrong" becomes "conflict resolution."
3. Read three job ads in the field you want and circle the skills you already listed.

## Examples by background

| If you did this | You bring this |
|---|---|
| Retail or restaurant work | Customer service, cash handling, working fast under pressure |
| Warehouse work | Safety habits, equipment use, inventory accuracy |
| Parenting full time | Scheduling, budgeting, patience, multitasking |
| Military service | Following procedure, leadership, working in teams |

## Free tools that help

The Labor Department's [My Next Move](https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip) lists skills for hundreds of jobs. American Job Centers offer free skills assessments and resume help.

## Questions people ask

### What are the top transferable skills?

Communication, problem solving, reliability, teamwork and basic computer skills come up across almost every field.

### How do I list transferable skills on a resume?

Use a short skills section and show each one in action under past jobs.

### Do transferable skills replace training?

No. They help you get hired and do well, but many jobs still require a credential.

## Sources

- [O*NET Interest Profiler (U.S. Department of Labor)](https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip)
- [CareerOneStop: find an American Job Center](https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/AmericanJobCenters/find-american-job-centers.aspx)

## Where to go next

- [Resume](https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/resume/)
- [Best jobs for changers](https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/best-jobs-for-career-changers/)
- [Career quiz](https://careerdirecting.com/career-quiz/)
- [Career change](https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/)
- [Afford training](https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/afford-training/)
- [At 30](https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/at-30/)
- [At 35](https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/at-35/)
- [At 40](https://careerdirecting.com/career-change/at-40/)

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