How to Talk About Transferable Skills in Job Interviews

A quick Google of the key skills employers look for will reveal dozens that could apply to you. The temptation can be to try and cram as many of these buzzwords as possible into a job interview. Don’t. You’ll come across as though you’re just trying to tick boxes and haven’t thought about the specific role at all.

Before you walk into an interview, take some time to research the company and the job itself, and think about the sort of skills they’re likely to value most. Chatting away about your online blog is great if you’re going for a copywriting role, but not so impressive if you’re trying to become an accountant.  

Another tip is to react to information the interviewer gives you about the role (if they don’t volunteer this, you should be asking about it). If they’re telling you about how much of the job is based on group projects, play up your teamwork skills and don’t waffle on about what an independent worker you are – you could give off the wrong vibes if they think you’re implying you’d rather work alone. 

This is nothing to do with bladder control, but refers to a writing method you may remember from school: Point, Evidence, Explanation.

Never mention a transferable skill (“I’m really good at detailed research”) without giving some evidence that you actually do possess it (“as shown by the 1^st class I received for my dissertation”) and without referencing it back to the role you’re interviewing for (“which would stand me in good stead for preparing those client briefs you mentioned”).

Remember that until you make a good impression, you want the job more than the interviewer wants you. Therefore, it is your responsibility to prove that you really are as talented as you’re claiming, and that those talents are exactly what they need in their new hire.

Sometimes an interviewer will ask you directly about a transferable skill, as in “Are you good at giving presentations?” As long as you remember to PEE, that sort of question is easy to answer.

But sometimes the interviewer will phrase a question in a way that throws you: “Tell me how you would present a business case to a client.” The trick is to realize that these two questions are essentially identical. When faced with a confusing question, always take a moment to think about it – pausing before answering gives your brain a chance to kick into gear. Once you’ve identified the skills required for the task they’re asking about, you can revert to your PEE formula.

Be careful to keep referring back to the specific task they mentioned, to prove that you listened to what they said!

The only reason an interviewer cares about a candidate’s skills and experience is if they believe such skills and experience will make them good at the job they are trying to fill. For them, everything is about your potential, and as such you should emphasis this as much as possible.

During the job interview, talk about times when you were given a new task or project to learn and got to grips with it quickly. Especially in entry-level roles, interviewers won’t expect candidates to have every skill and expertise they require. What will be super important to them is hiring someone who is a keen and quick learner – so make sure you have plenty of evidence to suggest that their dream candidate is sitting right in front of them!

Beth Leslie is a content writer for the UK’s leading graduate recruitment agency, Inspiring Interns. Check out their blog for more graduate careers advice. If you are looking for an internship or want to explore the graduate jobs London has to offer, head to their website. 

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