Careers within Education, Nonprofit, and Government are evolving and changing due to COVID-19. Many of you are now being asked to adapt, change your perspective, or even consider pivoting your career goals. While this may seem daunting, as a member of the ENPG community you have a unique set of transferable skills that you’ve acquired through your various experiences–skills that make you marketable applicants for the jobs that are currently hiring. To stand out in your job search, here are five transferable (hard and soft) skills to highlight in your career toolkit documents:

1. Technology

With most activities shifted to virtual platforms, technology is at the forefront during COVID-19. You now use technology every day to communicate (Slack, Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams), complete coursework (Microsoft Office, Google Suite, VoiceThread, Panopto), and manage projects (Asana, Trello). Since most businesses and organizations are operating remotely, highlight your proficiency in different technology platforms in your resume, cover letter, or an interview to show a hiring manager that you are able to effectively work remotely.

2. Leadership

Whether you’ve taken the lead on a group project in one of your classes or had a leadership role in a student organization, being a leader can show an employer your ability to take charge. Highlight your leadership skills to demonstrate your effective communication, organization, and time-management skills so that an employer has the impression that you can be a leader in their organization. 

3. Adaptability 

During this pandemic, we are adapting to change. COVID-19 has impacted school, work, and daily life. Highlight your ability to adapt to different situations to show your flexibility and willingness to modify projects and tasks within the workplace. Implement a statement in your resume to showcase this skill.

4. Facilitation

Have you presented in a class, at work, or at a conference? Emphasize your ability to successfully present in front of a quantifiable number of members. Facilitation can also look like leading a group in an activity, implementing a lesson plan in a class, guiding a meeting, and more. Highlight this skill in your documents and interviews to show an employer that you have strong public speaking and presentation skills. 

5. Management 

Management doesn’t have to mean being a “manager” in a job or an internship. Management skills can come from working on a group project in class, leading a sports team, guiding a group of people through an activity, and more. These management skills speak to one’s ability to work and collaborate with others. Feature this skill in your documents and speak on your management abilities in interviews with employers. 

With the added pressure that COVID-19 brings, your current job or internship search can be challenging and intimidating. You may be seeking adjacent careers or considering changing career paths altogether. Have a solid toolkit of transferable skills in your back pocket to help you explore different careers and to be competitive candidates within the Education, Nonprofit, and Government community. 

Looking to discuss transferable skills or your career plans further? Make an appointment on Handshake!