Transferable skills are the skills you've accumulated through different jobs, volunteer work and life experiences. For displaced workers, whose jobs have gone away, identifying skills you can take to a new career is crucial.
Brian Tweed knows a lot about commercial real estate. For more than 15 years he sold and leased commercial properties in the Central Valley.
Tweed tried to change with the times; he became a property manager but the damage done to the commercial real estate industry during the recession was hard to overcome.
After being laid off from his last position Tweed knew it was time for a change. But after working in one industry for so long, Tweed knew he needed help reinventing himself. He went to see Linda Davidson a human resources manager with the Economic Opportunities Commission.
"Well I think number one what you do is talk to people about not selling themselves short," said Davidson. "That you look at the kinds of life experiences you have that apply to work across the board in all areas."
Davidsons says we all have transferable skills, work experiences we take from job to job. Brian's problem was identifying those skills
Davidson says if you list skills as opposed to job task then you have a resume that fits every job you apply for -- and she says versatility is what employers are looking for.
If you are having trouble identifying your skills, you can work with a career counselor or a job's specialist at the Fresno County Workforce Connection One Stop Career Centers.
If you want to know if your skills match up to a certain position -- read the job descriptions.
