What are the most important skills to highlight when changing careers?

Soft skills are the heroes of professional success. While technical prowess gets you in the door, it's the soft skills that keep you there and drive collaboration. The ability to communicate effectively, adapt to change, and work seamlessly with others is like the glue that binds a high-functioning team. Where relationships matter as much as expertise, soft skills are not just nice to have – they're non-negotiable for thriving in any career.

Emphasize skills that are transferable across different industries. These might include communication, problem-solving, project management, teamwork, and critical thinking.

Demonstrating transferable skills is critical when changing careers. Too often, job seekers expect employers to connect the dots. It’s the responsibility of job seekers to make it clear how their skills translate. In my experience reviewing resumes, most candidates do not do this well. Consider using a coach or having your application materials reviewed by several people to refine and sharpen your language.

Focus on transferable skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving. Employers love them—they show you can adapt and collaborate. Share specific examples from past jobs. For instance, if you moved from sales to marketing, talk about how your communication and persuasion skills in sales helped you connect with customers and bring in leads. That's your ticket to a smooth career transition!

When switching careers, spotlight your technical skills. These are job-specific abilities like coding or design. Employers love them! Show off by sharing projects or certificates. If changing from journalism to web dev, flaunt coding prowess with a cool portfolio site or past web projects

Thought leader Simon Sinek regularly reframes soft skills to human skills. Human skills are critical to your success in a work environment because no amount of technical skills can save you if you can’t work well with others. Honing your message about your interpersonal skills can be challenging. It’s hard to figure out where to share this narrative and how to do so in brief but powerful ways. Figuring out how to do this will make your application materials much stronger. Consider your superpowers and write them down. Think about how to translate these into brief statements supported by examples. It’s hard to do but it will make your materials stand out!

When changing careers, don't forget soft skills! They're like your personality superpowers—things like being tough when faced with challenges or having a curious mind. Job hunters often overlook these, but they're crucial. Imagine switching from teaching to consulting—talk about how your resilience helps you handle changes and how curiosity drives you to learn new things. These soft skills can be your secret weapons for a successful career shift

Almost all job candidates will have gap skills. As a employer, I can provide training and opportunity but I can’t make an employee want to learn. Showcasing your desire to learn and demonstrating your ideas about how you will learn and how you’ve learned new skills in the past will enhance your application.

When changing careers, focus on gap skills – these are what you need to learn or boost for the new job. It could be techie stuff or skills everyone wants. Show you're ready to learn. If switching from finance to data science, take an online course or join a data group. It makes you stand out!

Highlight any unique or specialized skills that set you apart from other candidates. This could be a language proficiency, specific industry knowledge, or any skill that is in demand in the new field.

When changing careers, showcasing unique skills is key. These are special talents that make you stand out. Think rare or combo skills that bring innovation. If switching from law to entrepreneurship, use legal smarts to create solutions in the market. It's your secret weapon!

Key points to highlight when changing careers: 1?? Transferable skills: Emphasize skills that can be applied to your new field. 2?? Adaptability: Show your ability to learn and adjust to new environments. 3?? Communication: Highlight strong verbal and written communication skills. 4?? Problem-solving: Showcase your problem-solving abilities and creative thinking. 5?? Leadership: If applicable, mention any leadership experience or skills.

Changing careers? Focus on key skills – those crucial for the job you want. Research the job, know what's valued, and customize your resume to match. Transferable, technical, soft – flaunt what fits!

As we move higher up in our careers, we need to focus on both Niche & General skills. Niche - Portraying them helps: 1. Get visibility with organizations you are eyeing. 2. Recruiters find you on LinkedIn. 3. Add credibility to interview process. General: 1. Required to portray skills to work in a team, manage people, manage deadlines, meet targets etc. 2. Also useful because as you move up, your KRAs are defined as a team rather than as an individual. Niche v/s General: 1. Hybrid 50-50 approach works if you are very senior. 2. If you're junior / mid-level ranks, the constitution of niche may need to be more than the general skills. Depending on the next jump you want to take, and at what seniority, these things need to be kept in mind.