Identifying Transferable Skills

It’s a tragedy how undervalued hospitality workers are when changing careers. 😔 They multitask effortlessly, think quickly on their feet, handle pressure gracefully, and consistently deliver exceptional service with a smile. Yet when they try to move industries, suddenly these skills become invisible. Why? Because hiring managers from other industries often don’t realize: 👉 A restaurant manager is an operational powerhouse. 👉 A chef who handles a £1M budget clearly understands finance. 👉 Front-of-house staff manage various customers expectations daily. 👉 Bartenders excel at sales and relationship-building. 👉 Hotel receptionists master multitasking and customer care. 👉 Event coordinators demonstrate logistics and project management experise. Transferable skills aren’t industry-specific—they’re human-specific. Hospitality professionals deserve better recognition. Next time you interview somebody from hospitality, look beyond the job title—take a moment, listen to their story, and you’ll see the heart and value they bring. Real talent is never industry-specific—it’s human-specific. ❤️

“Sales is not relevant to me, I am in [Function other than sales].” Raise your hand if you've ever thought this way. I would be the first one to raise my hand - dismissing sales as irrelevant to my role in tech. Early in my career, the very word 'sales' conjured images of a sleazy car salesman trying to sell me unnecessary options for my new vehicle. As my career progressed, however, my perspective started to shift. I realized that sales is far more than just transactions and numbers. It's about building relationships, understanding deep-seated needs, adding value and offering meaningful solutions. Sales acumen, I discovered, is like financial literacy – a universal, indispensable skill that transcends job titles, experience levels and functions. To demystify sales and showcase its broad relevance, I reached out to my friend Aaron Norris, a former Principal Account Exec at Amazon Web Services. He is now dedicated to advancing the careers of Account Execs, focusing on long-term happiness, health, and wealth. Here are 5 invaluable tips he shared with me on how sales skills can benefit any role: 1. Discovery: Identifying and understanding your customer's top priority challenges and designing unique value-adding solutions is critical in sales. This is not a one-time effort rather an ongoing process of research, obtaining insights, collaborating and establishing feedback loops to deliver the right solutions and delight customers. 2. Stakeholder Engagement: Adapting the narrative, style, channel and frequency of messaging enables sellers to effectively engage with and obtain buy-in from internal and external executives, technical, and business stakeholders at various levels. 3. Influence: Effective influence in sales hinges on clear, honest communication and a deep understanding of customer needs and team dynamics. It's about building trust by consistently delivering on promises and showing commitment to customers’ and colleagues' success. This approach not only drives decision-making but also strengthens team collaboration, accounting for their unique skills, needs and interests. 4. Resilience: Navigating a high-pressure and target-driven environment, sales professionals often face rejection and must rebound after losses. To remain composed and resilient during challenging times, they prioritize customer focus, engage the executive team early, and make decisions with a long-term perspective. 5. Relationship Building: Building authentic relationships in sales requires prioritizing your customers' success over closing a deal. It involves becoming their most trusted advisor by investing time in building the partnership, understanding their goals and strategy, providing value at every opportunity, and celebrating their wins. Looking for additional insights on the topic? Follow Aaron. He posts daily on the topics of enterprise sales, personal development and leadership. PS: Just for a bit of fun, share a ‘sales horror story’ below!

The key to identifying and highlighting transferable skills from a career break is simple: stop thinking of work as the only place where valuable skills are built. Every experience—whether it’s caregiving, studying, traveling, or even healing—teaches us something. The trick is learning how to translate those lessons into professional strengths. Instead of focusing on where you were, focus on what you did during that time. Ask yourself: • Did I manage a household? That’s leadership, budgeting, conflict resolution. • Did I care for a family member? That’s emotional intelligence, resilience, crisis management. • Did I go back to school? That’s adaptability, learning agility, and critical thinking. • Did I travel or take a sabbatical? That’s cultural intelligence, problem-solving, and networking. • Did I recover from burnout or focus on mental health? That’s self-awareness, stress management, and a deeper understanding of workplace well-being—an increasingly valuable skill. The bottom line? A career break isn’t a gap. It’s an experience. And when framed right, it’s an asset.

Don’t forget about your transferable skills! When talking to people who are changing careers, I often notice they overlook the skills and experiences they already have, simply because they feel “too small” or irrelevant. But these skills often matter more than you think and they can absolutely be applied in a new role. Here are a few examples: • Working or studying abroad: cultural awareness, ability to work in international teams, resilience, problem-solving • Working as a waiter/waitress: communication, time management, conflict resolution • Working as a teacher: public speaking, instructional design, group facilitation, adaptability Careers are no longer linear. Reskilling and upskilling will become the norm (we’re already seeing this with the rise of AI). 🤖 The most important skill? Staying curious and open to life long learning. So, take a moment to reflect on everything you’ve learned so far and carry those skills with confidence into your next role 🙌 Which skills were you able to transfer in your new role?

STOP underestimating your "unrelated" skills and experience when you're looking for a new job. When I was in college, I had a bunch of odd jobs including working at UCLA’s Campus Call Center. My main objective was to jump on cold calls and convince high schoolers who got accepted to UCLA to come to the school. I knew I really wanted to work in sports, media and entertainment. And this job at the time didn't make any sense to my career growth, but I had to make some money one way or another to pay the bills because my financial aid only got me so far. But with this job, I didn’t see any route or direction that would lead me to my goals. Up to that point, my only "real" jobs were working at Forever 21 as a summer retail associate, YMCA as a referee, and as an afterschool assistant for an elementary school. So each day I’d dial 100+ of calls for work. Then I’d get home and apply for 100s of jobs for me. And it'd lead to rejection after rejection. I couldn’t figure out what I needed to say or do differently to get noticed by organizations. It wasn’t until I realized my current job wasn't just about me making calls. It was about me using skills like: - Relationship management  - Persuasive communication - Marketing strategies By reframing my experience, I transformed my “unrelated” job into a stepping stone for my career. This mindset shift was what helped me finally land a job at UCLA Athletics in student-athlete recruiting where I was now convincing high school athletes recruited by UCLA to commit to our programs. So keep in mind that every experience you’ve had, no matter how small, may already be the game changer you’ve been looking for. The key is identifying those transferable skills that align with your dream opportunities. Questions to ask yourself: - What skills am I truly developing? - How can I articulate these skills to potential employers? - Where else could these abilities be valuable?   What are “unrelated” skills / past experiences that have helped you in other roles? #CareerAdvice #SportsBiz #Media #Entertainment 

I need an HR, finance, or Facilities head with experience in X industry. Is that a valid requirement? The argument for industry-specific experience often hinges on the belief that familiarity with sector-specific nuances and challenges allows leaders to hit the ground running. Proponents argue that such leaders require less ramp-up time and bring a deeper understanding of industry trends and networks. This perspective overlooks two critical points: >>Over-Reliance on Familiarity: Leaders who have spent their entire careers in one industry may inadvertently develop tunnel vision. They might prioritize established norms over innovative solutions, limiting their ability to challenge the status quo or adopt fresh perspectives. >>Universal Frameworks: Many leadership roles, particularly in functional areas like Finance and HR, rely on frameworks, regulations, and principles that transcend industries. For example, financial compliance standards, talent management strategies, and workplace safety protocols are often governed by universal best practices rather than sector-specific requirements. Generalists bring unique strengths to leadership roles, often from their ability to adapt and thrive across diverse environments. Here’s why generalist skills should be valued more: >>Cross-Pollination of Ideas: Leaders who have worked across multiple industries bring fresh ideas and innovative approaches. They can draw from a broad spectrum of experiences to implement strategies that might not have been considered within the confines of a single industry. >>Emphasis on Core Competencies: Whether managing people or money, the core competencies—strategic thinking, effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and risk management—remain constant. A skilled generalist excels in these areas, regardless of the industry. >>Adaptability in Dynamic Environments: In an era where industries are increasingly disrupted by technology and global trends, adaptability is a critical leadership trait. Generalists, accustomed to learning and pivoting across sectors, are often better equipped to navigate uncertainty and drive change. >>Focus on People and Processes: At their core, leadership roles in HR, Finance, and Facilities Management revolve around people and processes—both of which are industry-agnostic. A leader who fosters collaborative teams and implements efficient systems can succeed in any sector. Organizations must recognize that while industry-specific experience has merits, it is not the sole determinant of success in leadership roles. #bestpractices #waysofworking #leadership

My secret weapon when I pivoted from to tech from a non-tech background: Emphasizing my transferable skills. Here's how to leverage them the right way to land the job of your dreams: 1/ 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 ↳ Review all your work, volunteer activities, education, and personal projects. Don't just focus on job titles - think about what you actually did day-to-day. 2/ 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ↳ For each role or experience, identify specific tasks you performed and results you achieved. Ask yourself: What problems did I solve? How did I communicate? What did I manage or organize? 3/ 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 ↳ Group them into categories like communication, leadership, problem-solving, technical abilities, project management, or analytical thinking. These broader categories usually apply across industries. 4/ 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ↳ Analyze relevant job postings and map them to the categories from step 3, even if you used them in different contexts. 5/ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 ↳ When you identify a transferable skill, prepare specific stories that demonstrate it. Quantify your impact when possible - numbers make your experience more compelling. ♻️ Reshare this post for an aspiring career switcher and follow Megan Lieu for more!

Most people fail in sales. Because nobody ever taught them the real skills. → The skills that close deals. → The skills that build trust. → The skills that put food on the table. I’ve mentored reps for years, and I see the same mistake again and again: People chase features, tricks, and hacks, but ignore the fundamentals. Here are 11 sales skills you need if you want to stop losing deals 👇 1. The Prospecting Rule of 10 You give up too early. Great reps push through 10 touches (email, call, LinkedIn, video). Persistence beats talent every time. 2. The Silent Close Ask your question. Then shut up. Silence creates pressure. Pressure forces truth. Truth closes deals. 3. The Value-First Formula Nobody cares about your product. They care about their problem. Teach them something new → you win trust. 4. The No-Fee Boundaries Discounts don’t win. They cheapen. Hold your price = hold your worth. Respect drives revenue. 5. The 30-Second Pitch Reset If they look lost, stop. Simplify. Restart. Confused minds never buy. 6. The Rule of 3 Questions Before pitching, ask 3 open-ended questions. Diagnosis before prescription. Urgency comes from discovery. 7. The Story Sell Humans buy stories, not features. Keep it short. Keep it real. Stories stick. 8. The Champion Method Find the person who will sell for you when you’re not in the room. Champions close deals. Not reps. 9. The Confidence Posture Stand tall. Speak slowly. Breathe deeply. Confidence builds credibility. Credibility builds trust. 10. The Follow-Up Framework Most reps stop too soon. 80% of deals close after 5+ touches. Fortune lives in the follow-up. 11. The Pipeline Truth Stop lying to yourself. Sandbagging kills trust. Healthy pipeline = healthy career. 👉 None of these are taught in school. 👉 All of these decide whether you win or lose. And that’s why so many sales careers stall. If you’re in sales, save this post. If you lead a team, share it with them. Because mastery of these 11 skills = the difference between an average rep and a top 1% earner.

Career pivots at the senior executive level require more than experience—they demand the ability to translate your leadership skills into new industries or roles. If you're navigating this transition, here’s how to position yourself for success: 🔍 Identify Transferable Skills Start by isolating the core leadership skills you've mastered. Strategic thinking, operational excellence, change management, and stakeholder engagement are valuable across industries. Align these strengths with what your target industry prioritizes. 🗣️ Bridge the Language Gap Every industry has its own language. Research how your target sector talks about challenges and success. Replace industry-specific jargon with universal leadership terms that resonate in your new field. ⚡ Highlight Adaptability and Learning Agility Senior roles in new industries often require quick learning and adaptability. Share examples where you led through market shifts, integrated new technologies, or managed cross-functional teams—proving your capacity to thrive in unfamiliar environments. 🏆 Showcase Relevant Achievements Select accomplishments that demonstrate impact aligned with your new goals. Led digital transformation? That’s relevant to tech-driven industries. Scaled operations globally? That’s valuable in any growth-focused sector. Frame your results in a way that speaks to future employers’ pain points. 🚀 Craft a Forward-Looking Narrative Your story should connect past success with future potential. Communicate how your experience equips you to solve challenges in this new space. Phrases like, “My experience driving operational excellence positions me to...” help bridge the gap. A successful pivot isn’t about starting over—it’s about leveraging your leadership in new and meaningful ways. For those who’ve made a successful transition, what worked for you? Let’s share insights below! 👇 #careers #executivecareers #jobsearch

👩🏾⚕️ She started her career as a nurse, but these are the 5 most important skills that helped her become a Cloud Engineer 👇🏾 --------------------------------- One of the professions looking to transition that we get in our community is nursing. We get all types of questions from many nurses looking to build a new career in a demanding field that can offer them lateral or increased pay. They choose Cloud Engineering. We recently had another success story of a nurse moving into a cloud role, and here are the 5 most important transferable skills she knows will help her get the role! While learning the tech is important, it is sometimes the skills you already have and have honed in on that can give you the extra push!! 1. Problem-solving and Critical Thinking In her nursing role, she was trained to assess situations and quickly formulate solutions, which is crucial for troubleshooting in cloud environments. Whether it’s resolving network issues or optimizing cloud resource usage, her ability to think critically will serve her well in the new role, and this is what the organization likes! 2. Attention to Detail She stated that nurses must follow precise protocols and pay close attention to patient care details. This translates into IT, where attention to detail is necessary for writing accurate code, managing configurations, and enforcing compliance with security policies. 3. Communication Skills Her ability to communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare professionals directly applies to IT, where clear communication is crucial when collaborating with team members, documenting systems, and explaining technical details to non-technical stakeholders. <--- SUPER IMPORTANT 4. Adaptability Working in the fast-paced nature of healthcare, where protocols and environments can change rapidly, prepared her well for the dynamic role in cloud engineering, where she has the opportunity to quickly adapt to new tools and systems. 5. Stress Management <--- BIG ONE She had to operate in high-stress environments, making tough decisions daily. This ability to remain calm under pressure is beneficial in IT during critical system failures or security breaches that need immediate and effective resolution. 🏥🏥🏥🏥🏥 Here, you can see how the nursing role she was in helped her with critical skills she didn't even know mattered in cloud engineering. Most of you have those skills right now; apply them, shape them, and get better. Learn the tech, and the rest can be history for you. What role are you working on right now that you think has great transferable skills into the cloud role you want? Let me know 👇🏾