transferable skills

April 4, 2018, by Grace Pownall

Transferable Skills You Can Develop With Any Degree

By Grace Pownall, final year, studying civil engineering

I recently attended the first ever Spotlight On: Alternative Careers For Engineers. It was aimed at students who didn’t want to become graduate engineers and wanted to explore different career paths.

I have really enjoyed studying civil engineering for the last four years, but I was still a little curious about what other options and opportunities were out there. I expected to hear about jobs like banking or finance that focus on our numerical and technical skills. However, it was refreshing to hear about a wide range of roles, from IT and sales to HR and management.

The visiting employers, Aldi and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, welcome applications from students of any degree subject. They focus on strength of character, performance under pressure, and a range of core competencies. These include:

Time management and prioritisation

Being able to juggle multiple tasks is an important skill for any job. Identifying the most urgent task and getting on with it is the key to efficiency. It will make you a valuable member of any team. If you take part in any extra-curricular activities or a part-time job alongside your degree, this will be an easy skill to demonstrate on your application.

Leadership and management skills

Working in a team and getting on well with people is standard for any role, but demonstrating the ability to take command will elevate your application to the next level. It is also likely to make your progression and promotion within a company much quicker. Whether it is leading a sports team, debate team, society or volunteering group, any role that develops your ability to take responsibility and solve problems will prove beneficial in any line of work.

Character and attitude

Being able to approach unfamiliar situations with the right mindset is so important. The working environment is different to the lectures and coursework assignments you get used to at university. This could mean dealing with difficult clients or facing high-pressure situations. As such, learning to to face new challenges head on is something employers want you embrace. If you think about it though, the whole University experience is a string of new situations with new people… so I think we’ll be fine!

If you’re thinking about applying for a job that is outside your degree discipline, don’t worry you’ve already developed a whole host of useful skills by studying at the University of Nottingham.

Need help articulating your transferable skills during the application process? You can find lots of information online here or book an appointment to talk to us in person. 

Posted in Student Bloggers