You’ve probably heard people talking about using transferable skills to switch jobs and industries. What does this really mean when it comes to transitioning from a non-tech background to a tech job?
Well, tech companies look for people with a wide range of skills and experience. According to a Glassdoor survey, 43% of jobs at tech companies are non-technical, meaning, no coding required! Why? Because you need people to keep track of project timelines, support customers, market products, recruit talent and so on. These types of roles rely heavily on soft skills over hard skills like coding. Soft skills that you already have from education and previous work and life experience.
So what are these transferable skills everyone keeps talking about?
Here are the top 10 categories of transferable skills for tech along with some examples:
- Communication
- Dependability
- Teamwork
- Organization
- Adaptability
- Leadership
- Decision-making
- Empathy
- Initiative
- Technology literacy
Communication
| Active listening | Giving and receiving feedback | Nonverbal communication | Responsiveness |
| Written communication | Verbal communication | Confidence | Public speaking |
Dependability
| Punctuality | Integrity | Work ethic |
| High-achiever | Meets deadlines | Honesty |
Teamwork
| Relationship building | Active listening | Collaboration | Self-awareness | Conflict resolution |
Organization
| Time management | Attention to detail | Analytical thinking | Prioritization |
Adaptability
| Creativity | Positive attitude | Flexibility | Patience |
Leadership
| Delegation | Conflict resolution | Project management | Goal setting |
| Interpersonal skills | Team building | Risk-taking | Negotiation |
Decision-making
| Creativity | Problem-solving | Critical thinking | Analytical |
Empathy
| Listening skills | Mediation | Perspective taking | Curiosity |
Initiative
| Self-motivation | High-achiever | Process improvement | Eagerness | Goal setting |
Technology Literacy
| Troubleshooting | Productivity software (MS Office) | Adapting to new technology |
| Collaboration | Familiarity with terms and common platforms | Independent research |
So what now?
Now, use this list as a starting point to figure out what transferable skills you have. Then, use your list of transferable skills to match up to one of the non-technical roles in tech.
Do your skills and experience align most closely to a Project Manager? Maybe a Business Analyst? The role that most closely aligns with your current transferable skill set, is the role you will want to target as you transition into tech.
Once you identify your target role, the next steps would be to incorporate these transferable skills on your resume making sure to reframe your past experience in the context of your target technology role. Your resume should read like a Project Manager or Business Analyst and not like whatever job you had previously. Using keywords and terminology that relates to the role you are targeting is how you accomplish this. Review this blog post for ideas on resume keywords to use for each non-technical role.
Ready to start your journey to a career in tech? Check out the Start Here page for step by step guide.
Let T3 help you transition to tech! Get more information on our one on one coaching program HERE.
