Adaptive or transferable skills is the one every employers look for in a candidate.. What is most interesting is that most of these skills are not formally taught in school. Yet these “soft” skills are those that employers value most. Of course, job specific skills are also important—an accountant will still need to know accounting skills, but the adaptive and transferable skills are the ones that allow you to succeed in any job.
- Learning to learn
- Basic academic skills in reading, writing, and computation
- Good communication skills including listening and speaking
- Creative thinking and problem solving
- Self-esteem, motivation, and goal setting
- Personal and career development skills
- Interpersonal/negotiation skills and teamwork
- Organizational effectiveness and leadership
It’s ironic that schools teach traditional educational subjects: math, history,science, language, keyboarding, etc. However, studies have concluded that there is a difference in what is taught versus what employers look for in an employee.