Transferrable skills are valuable resources for recruiters and job seekers alike, and having a set of skills that can transfer from career to career can prove to be even more valuable than those that are role or company-specific. The job market is changing; you can move from employer to employer with very little fuss, and if you do come to fancy a change of direction, it’s your transferrable skills that are likely to be valued most highly by recruiters. But what exactly are transferrable skills, and which ones are recruiters most likely to look for in traders?
What Are Transferrable Skills?
Transferrable skills, at their essence, are a set of skills and abilities that an individual possesses that form the core of their skillset. These skills are valuable because, as the name suggests, they are transferrable from role to role. They can be applied to a variety of different job roles, industries and tasks, and it’s for this reason that recruiters value these so highly. What’s more, transferrable skills are easily picked up without extensive experience. Previous positions, voluntary work or even unpaid work experience can all prove beneficial, but skills such as good communication, effective problem solving skills and many more can all be picked up at home!
Why Are They Important?
Employers in particular find that transferrable skills are extremely important in creating an efficient and empowered workforce. Recruiters will be looking to see that you’d be a good fit for any team, and that you can bring something valuable to the workforce without needing extensive training. Transferrable skills demonstrate that you’re self-efficient, hardworking, and that while you may not have industry-specific experience, you do have previous experience that is still unerringly valuable to a potential role.
‘Softer skills’ are often difficult to teach, and so if you can prove that you already have a grasp on these, it can prove beneficial not only to the recruitment process, but to your everyday activity once you’re working. However, if you’re still learning, don’t fret. There are ways you can help to teach yourself these skills, from volunteering to gain valuable experience regardless of whether said volunteering is industry-relevant, to attending recruitment events to find out just what they’re searching for at any one time.
Transferrable Skills In Trading
While there are a wide range of transferrable skills that can prove beneficial, there are a few in particular that recruiters will look for when it comes to traders. While some skills will work better for different trading styles, there are a few in general that will work across the industry, and are as follows;
Initiative
Being able to use your own initiative is a must in any job, and the same can be said for traders. Trading often takes place in fast-paced markets, and having the initiative to make informed but fast decisions is a skill that any recruiter will value highly. However, it’s also important to show that you won’t step outside of your level of authority. You can develop this skill over time as you work up through the ranks, so don’t rush ahead – this could prove far more damaging than you may expect.
Organisation And Planning
Being able to forward plan and organise tasks in priority order isn’t a skill that everyone has, but with care and practice, it is something that can be taught. However, being able to show that you have this skill before you’re hired will prove invaluable to recruiters as it will prevent them from needing to pay for or provide this kind of training. Efficient forward planning and organisation will help you to keep control of your trading activity, and allow you to move with or against trading trends where necessary and with optimum effectiveness.
Attitude
Naturally having the right attitude is a must for any job, and while this can often be faked long enough to pass an interview, having the ability to keep hold of a positive attitude is a skill much valued by recruiters and employers alike. However, keeping a positive attitude goes beyond simply staying motivated and enthusiastic at all times.
Attitude can refer to everything from proactive thinking to treating every member of staff equally. Candidates who will treat a cleaner with the same respect as they do their CEO are likely to be more highly valued by not only recruiters, but the entire team too. In trading, you’re likely to come across a range of different people from different walks of life with a variety of different skill levels. Proving that you are willing to treat each and every one of them the same way is vital to efficient and productive trades.
Flexibility
There will never be a skill more valuable in the world of trading than flexibility. With markets rising and falling on a constant basis, and the need to jump on trends at the right time, being flexible with your schedule, your skillset, your expertise and so much more is a skill that simply can’t be valued enough. Recruiters will be looking for candidates that can prove their flexibility, and while you may not have the experience to prove your flexibility in these specific situations, there are plenty of other situations that you can use to your advantage. Proving that you are able to make time for others, and understand that they may not always have time for you when you need it are great ways of proving your willingness and ability to be flexible.
There are plenty of transferrable skills that recruiters will look for in traders, and these are just a few. Good communication skills, self-awareness, problem solving and so many more can all prove to be valuable and much-needed skills for the job, but they are also skills that many will demonstrate naturally with any kind of work experience. If you can execute any of these skills but have no experience in trading, then don’t fret – you’re still in with a good chance of passing any interview with the skills that you do have. Utilise them and sell yourself to a recruiter – you never know what skill you might have that they could be looking for.
