Transferable skills · Guide

How to explain transferable skills when changing careers, with examples

Written by the team at JobMatcha · Last checked 20 September 2026

Changing careers can be frustrating, because you may already have many of the skills the new job needs, but your job title does not make that obvious.

A teacher may already have training, presentation and stakeholder skills. A retail manager may already have team leadership, scheduling and customer relationship skills. A nurse may already have reporting, prioritisation and risk management skills.

The challenge is helping an employer see the connection. This guide shows you how to identify your transferable skills, translate them into the language of a new industry, and explain them in your resume, cover letter and interview.

The short version

When changing careers:

• Read the job ad and identify the three or four skills that matter most.
• Find real examples from your current or previous work that prove those skills.
• Translate old industry language into words the new employer understands.
• Explain what you personally did.
• Show the result.
• Be honest about what transfers and what you still need to learn.

Do not try to prove that every part of your old job is relevant. Show the parts that matter for the job you want.

What are transferable skills?

Transferable skills are abilities that can be useful across different jobs and industries. Examples include communication, problem solving, planning, organising, leadership, training others, customer service, working under pressure, managing competing priorities, teamwork, negotiation, record keeping, reporting, project coordination, using technology, quality checking, managing risk and working with stakeholders.

The skill may stay the same even when the job title changes. For example:

• A teacher planning lessons may be using planning, project coordination and resource management skills.
• A hospitality manager creating rosters may be using workforce scheduling and resource planning skills.
• A nurse giving a patient handover may be using structured reporting and information management skills.

Your job is to make that connection clear to the new employer.

Why employers sometimes miss transferable skills

An employer may understand their own industry very well, but know very little about yours.

If you write "Managed differentiated learning programs across Stage 4", a hiring manager outside education may not immediately understand what that involved.

But if the new role needs training and program coordination, you might explain the same experience as: "Planned and delivered learning programs for groups with different needs, tracked progress and adjusted delivery based on results."

You are not changing what you did. You are explaining it in language the new employer can understand. That distinction matters.

Step 1: start with what you actually do

Do not begin by copying a list of skills from the internet. Start with your real work. Write down five to ten things you regularly do. For example: "Run the front desk."

Then ask: what abilities does doing this well actually require? It might require:

• Communicating clearly with strangers
• Staying calm under pressure
• Prioritising urgent requests
• Keeping accurate records
• Solving unexpected problems
• Using booking or customer management systems

The task is "running the front desk". The transferable skills are the abilities underneath it.

Step 2: look for skills you use repeatedly

Go through your main tasks and look for patterns. If communication appears in six different parts of your job, that may be one of your strongest skills. If you are constantly organising people, deadlines and resources, planning may be another. If people regularly come to you when something goes wrong, problem solving may be important.

Your strongest transferable skills are often the skills you use across several different responsibilities.

A tip. Do not only ask "what am I good at?" Also ask "what do people regularly rely on me to do?" That question often reveals skills people overlook, because the skill has become normal to them.

Step 3: read the new job ad differently

When changing careers, do not read a job ad only as a list of things you have never done. Separate it into:

1. Skills you already have.
2. Industry knowledge you can learn.
3. Qualifications or licences you may genuinely need.

For example, an ad might ask for stakeholder communication, project coordination, reporting, experience using a particular software system, and a professional registration.

You may already have the first three. The software may be learnable. The registration may be mandatory. These are not the same kind of gap. Understanding that difference can stop you ruling yourself out too quickly.

Step 4: translate your experience into the employer's language

Different industries often use different words for similar work.

Do not force terminology that does not accurately describe what you did. The goal is translation, not exaggeration.

Step 5: remove industry jargon when it hides the skill

Industry language is useful when the new employer understands it. It becomes a problem when it hides what you actually did.

For example, "Completed patient handovers at the end of every shift" may mean little to someone outside healthcare. You could write: "Provided structured handovers to incoming staff, communicating key information, risks and follow-up actions to maintain continuity of care."

The second version explains the skill. You can still mention the original context. You just do not make the reader translate it for themselves.

Step 6: prove the skill with an example

A list of skills is easy to write. Evidence is more convincing.

Weak: "Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills."

Stronger: "Coordinated communication between teaching staff, parents and external support providers for more than 100 students, resolving issues and keeping all parties informed of agreed actions."

The stronger version tells the employer who you dealt with, what you did, the scale, and why it mattered.

Where appropriate, use the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result. You do not need to write a full STAR response for every resume bullet. But thinking in STAR can help you find the evidence behind your skill. Our guide on how to answer selection criteria explains STAR in detail.

Step 7: use results when they help

Numbers can make experience easier to understand across industries. For example:

• Managed a team of 12.
• Supported 80 customers a day.
• Coordinated training for 60 employees.
• Reduced processing time by 20 percent.
• Managed a $150,000 budget.
• Delivered a project two weeks ahead of schedule.

But do not force numbers into every bullet. A clear result without a number can still be strong. For example: "Introduced a clearer handover process that reduced repeated questions between shifts."

Use numbers when they are genuine, meaningful and easy to explain.

How to show transferable skills on your resume

A career change resume needs to help the employer understand the connection quickly.

Start with a short summary

Your summary can explain where you are coming from, what type of role you are moving towards, and the most relevant skills you bring. For example:

"Secondary teacher with 10 years of experience moving into workplace learning and development. Experienced in designing training, presenting to groups, tracking learner progress and working with a wide range of stakeholders."

This immediately tells the employer why the resume in front of them makes sense.

Change the emphasis of your bullet points

You do not need to hide your old job. You may need to change which parts of it receive the most attention.

If you are a teacher moving into corporate training, a bullet about designing and delivering learning may be more relevant than a detailed description of playground duty. If you are a nurse moving into project work, reporting, coordination, documentation and risk management may deserve more space than clinical procedures.

Ask: does this bullet help prove something the new employer needs? If not, shorten it or remove it.

Use the employer's words when they are accurate

If the job ad asks for "stakeholder management", and you genuinely managed relationships with parents, staff, suppliers, clients or other groups, it may make sense to describe that as stakeholder management.

Do not insert keywords that do not match your experience. The words should help explain your evidence, not replace it.

How to explain a career change in a cover letter

If your move is not obvious from your resume, explain it briefly. You do not need a long personal story. For example:

"After 10 years in secondary teaching, I am moving into learning and development so I can apply my experience designing training, presenting to groups and supporting adult learners in a workplace setting."

Then move quickly to evidence. Show the employer why your background is relevant. A useful structure is:

1. Explain the move.
2. Name two or three relevant transferable skills.
3. Give evidence.
4. Address any important gap.
5. Explain why this particular role interests you.

Do you need to explain why you are changing careers?

Usually, explain enough for the application to make sense. If you are moving from teaching to learning and development, the connection may be straightforward. If you are moving from nursing to banking, the employer may need more explanation.

Keep the reason positive and forward-looking. Focus on what you are moving towards, rather than everything you dislike about your current career.

How to talk about a skill gap

Do not pretend every skill transfers. Some parts of the new role will genuinely be new. A strong career changer can say:

"I have not used your particular project management system, but I have used two similar systems and have already completed the introductory training for yours."

That answer does three things. It acknowledges the gap, shows related experience, and shows what you are doing about it.

You do not need to apologise for every gap. You need to show whether it is manageable.

Do not confuse a skill gap with a mandatory requirement

Some career changes require a qualification, registration, licence or clearance. Transferable skills do not replace these.

For example, a person may have excellent communication and problem solving skills but still need professional registration to enter a regulated occupation.

Check the official requirements for the job before deciding whether you need more study. Do not assume that because many people in an occupation hold a particular qualification, that qualification is automatically a legal requirement.

How to explain transferable skills in an interview

Prepare several examples before the interview. Choose stories that prove the most important skills in the job ad. For each one, know what happened, what you needed to achieve, what you did, why you chose that approach, and what happened as a result.

Do not memorise a script word for word. Know the example well enough to explain it naturally.

If asked "why should we hire someone without experience in our industry?", do not become defensive. Bring the answer back to evidence. For example:

"My industry background is different, but the role requires stakeholder communication, training and project coordination. Those have been major parts of my work for the past eight years. For example…"

Then give one strong example.

Worked example: teacher to training coordinator

The new job asks for designing training, presenting to groups, tracking completion, working with managers, and using a learning management system.

Transferable skills. The teacher already has experience in designing learning, presenting, monitoring progress, reporting, and working with different stakeholders.

Possible gap. They may not have used the employer's learning management system, or worked in a corporate environment.

Resume summary. "Secondary teacher with 10 years of experience moving into workplace training. Experienced in designing learning programs, presenting to groups, tracking progress and adapting training based on learner needs."

Resume bullet. "Designed and delivered a 12-week program for 28 learners, monitored progress weekly and adjusted delivery based on results. Completion outcomes improved over the following two years."

Cover letter. "My job title has been teacher, but much of my work has involved the same skills required in workplace training: identifying learning needs, designing content, presenting to groups, monitoring progress and adjusting delivery."

Interview gap answer. "I have not used your learning management system. I have used two education platforms for similar functions and learned the second system quickly. I have also completed the introductory training available for your platform."

Notice what this example does. It does not pretend teaching and corporate training are identical. It identifies what genuinely transfers. It also clearly identifies what is new. That balance makes a career change more believable.

Second example: retail manager to project coordinator

A retail manager may initially think "I have never worked in project management". But their work may include scheduling staff, managing deadlines, coordinating deliveries, solving operational problems, communicating with suppliers, tracking stock, reporting results and training staff.

Instead of writing "Managed a busy retail store", they could write: "Coordinated staff, supplier deliveries and daily operational priorities across a team of 15, adjusting resources when unexpected issues threatened deadlines."

The job has not changed. The relevant skill has become easier to see.

The mistakes that make career changers harder to hire

Listing generic skills

"Team player." "Problem solver." "Excellent communicator." These claims need evidence.

Using too much old industry jargon

Do not make the new employer decode your old job. Translate the important parts.

Pretending the two jobs are identical

They are not. Show what transfers, and acknowledge what does not.

Hiding the career change

If the employer is likely to wonder why you are applying, answer the question clearly. Do not make them guess.

Apologising for your background

Your previous career is evidence. Use the parts that are relevant.

Listing every transferable skill you can think of

Four well-proven skills are more useful than 15 unsupported ones.

Taking a course just to look serious

Do not automatically enrol in training because you are changing careers. First work out:

• Is the qualification legally required?
• Does the employer specifically ask for it?
• Is it strongly preferred?
• Would a shorter course genuinely close an important gap?
• Could you learn the skill on the job?

Study should solve a real problem, not simply decorate your resume.

How JobMatcha can help you find transferable skills

If you are struggling to see what else your experience could lead to, JobMatcha's Where your skills can take you tool starts with the work you do now. It helps identify other occupations that use similar skills, and shows where your existing experience may transfer.

This is useful because career changers often underestimate their own skills. Something you have done every day for years can feel ordinary to you, while still being valuable to another employer.

Use the results as a starting point. Then check the actual job advertisement, qualifications, registration requirements and current occupation information before making a career decision.

Frequently asked questions

What are examples of transferable skills? Common transferable skills include communication, organisation, planning, leadership, training, problem solving, teamwork, customer service, reporting, stakeholder management, working under pressure and using technology. The most important transferable skills are the ones relevant to the job you want.

How do I know which skills transfer to a new career? Start with the new job advertisement. Identify the important skills and responsibilities. Then look for examples from your current or previous work where you have already demonstrated similar abilities. Do not compare job titles only. Compare what the jobs actually require people to do.

Can I put transferable skills on my resume? Yes. But it is usually stronger to show the skill through your achievements and responsibilities, rather than simply listing the skill. Instead of "project coordination", show how you coordinated people, deadlines, information or resources.

Do I need experience in the same industry? It depends on the role. Some employers require specific industry experience. Others are more open to people with relevant skills from another field. Read the job advertisement carefully.

Should I take a course before changing careers? Only when it serves a clear purpose. Some jobs require qualifications, registrations or licences. Other jobs may value experience and transferable skills more than additional study. Check the requirements for the occupation and the specific jobs you want before enrolling.

Do I need to explain why I am changing careers? If the move is likely to raise questions, explain it briefly and positively. Focus on why the new work interests you, and how your experience is relevant.

What if I do not have every skill in the job ad? Very few applicants match every line perfectly. Separate the gaps into skills you already have in another context, skills you can learn, and mandatory requirements you must meet. Then decide whether you are still a realistic applicant.

Final check before you apply

Before sending a career change application, ask:

• Have I identified the skills this employer actually wants?
• Have I shown which of those skills I already have?
• Have I translated old industry language where necessary?
• Have I given evidence instead of just listing skill words?
• Have I focused on my own actions?
• Have I included meaningful results where possible?
• Have I explained the career change if it needs explaining?
• Have I been honest about genuine gaps?
• Have I checked whether any qualification, licence or registration is mandatory?
• Does my resume make sense to someone who has never worked in my old industry?
• Could I explain every claim confidently in an interview?

If the answer is yes, the employer should be able to see more than your old job title. They should be able to see what you can bring to the new one.

Sources

• ONET Database, O*NET Resource Center: occupation descriptions, skills and education levels. This service incorporates information from the ONET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
• Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation and industry profiles: Australian pay and shortage information.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO, Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2022: Australian occupation tags, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence.

JobMatcha uses outside occupation and labour market information as a starting point for career exploration. Education levels shown for an occupation do not necessarily represent mandatory entry requirements. Pay information is indicative and can vary by experience, location, employer and working arrangements. Always check qualifications, registration and licensing requirements with the relevant authority before acting.

Every care has been taken to make this guide accurate at the time it was written. It was last checked on 20 September 2026. Requirements change, and they differ between employers, states and individual roles. This guide is a starting point, not advice. The job advertisement, the role description and the responsible authority decide what applies to you. Please confirm anything you rely on before you act on it.