Building Transferable Skills

JENNYLEE MCLAUGHLIN
CENTER FOR CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
Through discussion and
group work, students will be
able to:
 Define and discuss
transferable skills
 Identify top
employability skills
employers are seeking
and skills they possess
 Communicate and
articulate their
transferable skills to
academic projects,
work experience, and
extracurricular activities
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Non-job specific skills which can be used in a variety of careers.

These skills are developed through jobs, internship experiences,
school projects, volunteer committees, or extracurricular activities.
 Strategies for developing this
competency:

• Secure a paid or unpaid job or

PROFESSIONALISM internship that will allow you to
develop professional skills

The individual demonstrates • Manage an event for a club or

integrity and ethical behavior, organization while sticking to a strict
acts responsibly with the interests
of the larger community in mind,
timeline
and is able to learn from
mistakes.
• Regularly curate your digital content

• Get involved with a pre-professional

student organization
CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS
The individual demonstrates openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to
interact respectfully with all people and understand individual differences.

• Learn about program options for study

Strategies for abroad
• Check out programs offered by Intercultural
developing Affairs and IPS
this • Read more about Diversity and Inclusion and
Global Leadership
competency: • Review the many student cultural
organizations at WCU
 Strategies for developing this
competency:

Join a team and remember that

teams take many forms (e.g., a

TEAMWORK student club or organization, sports

team, volunteer group)

Create your own team by forming

The individual is able a study group with peers
to work within a team
structure and can
negotiate and
Organize an abroad or domestic
manage conflict. volunteer service trip during a
school break
 LEADERSHIP
The individual is able to assess and manage emotions; use empathetic skills
to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.

Strategies Remember,
Volunteer to Participate in leadership can
for lead a small
Apply to be a
service be
developing peer leader for
group, in class programs and demonstrated
a pre-
this or for a
orientation
attend in many ways,
student club/ leadership informal roles
competenc organization
program
conferences and formal
y: ones.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
TO BUILD TRANSFERABLE
SKILLS!
AC
 LEARNING ACTIVITY
YOU WILL:
 WORK IN GROUPS OF 3 OR 4 TO COMPLETE THE LEARNING ACTIVITY
 SPEND THREE (3) MINUTES AT EACH STATION (ROTATE CLOCKWISE)
 ENGAGE IN WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION AFTER VISITING ALL STATIONS