What do you do if you need help identifying your transferable skills after a layoff?

Being impacted by a layoff can be difficult to overcome, even more if you weren't expecting it. Take a few of days (if you can) for yourself, to pause and reflect. It's important to take time not only to recover but also to reconnect with what is important for you and your past working experiences. Think if you would like to continue in the same career path, or, on the contrary, you feel it's time to make a change to have a more meaningful professional life. Take your time to discover your Ikigai (if you don't know what it is, I highly recommend you to read a bit more about it).

Take time alone to reflect on your work history, including volunteer work, full-time jobs, advisory roles, and other experiences. You may not realize how much you've accomplished unless you take the time to think about it. Review job descriptions for roles you're interested in and compare the required skills with your own experiences. This can help you identify which of your skills apply to the new roles. Proficiency level is important when it comes to skills. If you need to improve your current skills, make an actionable plan to do so.

If a layoff has triggered your job search, you will have had your confidence knocked so take time to clear your head first, take the emotion out of the situation (you may need a mentor or friend to help with this) and then take stock of what is important to you in your life and career. Things to consider are: 1. Your Values 2. Your Work Satisfiers/Dis-satisfiers 3. Your Personal Preferences regarding work 4. The skills you possess - not only what you CAN DO, but what you ENJOY DOING. When you find that sweet spot between high competence and high enjoyment levels, those will be your most transferrable skills. Something that gives you energy when speaking about them. More often than not, your transferrable skills are your soft skills.

I find it can be useful to scan a list of skill words as well as doing self-reflection exercises. This can help where you’re struggling to articulate what you’re good at and can inspire new ideas.

After a layoff, reflect on past roles and projects to identify skills like communication, problem-solving, and leadership. Seek feedback from colleagues and mentors. Utilize online resources and career assessments to pinpoint transferable skills. Tailor your resume and LinkedIn profile to highlight these skills. Consider networking and informational interviews to explore new opportunities aligned with your strengths. Stay proactive and adaptable in your job search journey.

To identify your transferrable skills, don't be afraid to ask your former managers, colleagues and subordinates for their insights into how they viewed you as a leader, peer and employee. It is very likely you will be pleasantly surprised as most of us are too hard on ourselves when it comes to assessing our own strengths.

In addition to identifying your tangible accomplishments, consider the best resume format for your specific needs. Do you need a functional resume, reverse chronological resume or a combination? Or do you need something that will visually attract the attention of the screener if you're in a creative role? Depending on your target audience, adapt your resume to appeal to the screener so that it is easy to screen you IN. Short, share and to the point is usually the best approach.

Given my work history, relatively low level positions and what may be seen as basic work qualities, I really need to understand what my transferable skills are and build and hone them so I can test myself and hopefully surprise myself to obtain better quality positions from now on.

When faced with the need to identify transferable skills after a layoff, start by reflecting on your previous roles and responsibilities. Seek feedback from colleagues or mentors to gain insight into your strengths. Compile a comprehensive list of skills and achievements, considering both technical and soft skills. Research current job market trends to understand which skills are in demand. Utilize career assessments for further clarity. Network with professionals in your industry for guidance and potential opportunities. If necessary, pursue additional training or certifications to enhance your skillset. And finally, consider seeking support from career professionals who can offer personalized guidance and assistance.

Often highly driven individuals struggle to clearly identify the depth and breadth of their skills. As a coach, I sit with clients to do a side-by-side comparison of their resume and the job description of their desired position. We also dive deep into past experiences to make connections with what's next.

One of my favorite tools for exploring careeer paths and transferrable skills is the LinkedIn Career Explorer. In this tool, you can sift through the current skills on your LinekdIn profile and see what other careers LinkedIn recommends for you. It takes a matter of minutes. Just Google "LinkedIn career explorer" and click the first result.