Past experiences such as part-time jobs, volunteer work and student projects have taught you a variety of skills and competencies that future employers look for. These skills can be broken down into two main categories:

Knowledge-Based Skills 

• Sometimes referred to as “technical skills”
• Knowledge of specific subjects, procedures and information necessary to perform particular tasks
• Acquired through education, training and on-the-job experience
• Examples include pivot tables, C++, pipetting or wireframing.

Transferable Skills

• Sometimes referred to as “soft skills” or “human skills”
• Actions taken to perform a task, or personality characteristics that contribute to performing work
• Acquired from many forms of experience, applicable to a variety of situations and settings
• Examples include organization, collaboration, conflict management, reliability, initiative and critical thinking.

For an in-depth look at your skills, complete our Skills Inventory, take a free skills assessment or schedule an appointment with a career advisor. 

Marketing your Skills to Employers

Follow these tips to apply your skills in the job or internship search:

• Include a Skills section on your resume
• Demonstrate transferable skills and knowledge-based skills in the form of accomplishment statements
• Use the S-A-R technique (“Situation, Action, Result”) during interviews and networking conversations
• Learn how to analyze job postings in order to identify the desired skills and abilities for the position
• Demonstrate key career readiness skills frequently sought by employers

Many companies use a simple AI screening software called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to scan your resume for a match of desired skills and keywords from their job description. Learn more about using AI tools in your job search.