Transferable skills are abilities you develop in one context (such as research) that are also useful in another (such as a future position in research, business, management etc.).
You develop many of these transferable skills through supervision, collaboration and your research activities. It can also be valuable to acquire this type of competence through dedicated courses and workshops.
Typical examples of transferable skills include:
- collaborating with others/working in teams
- communication and presentation skills
- communication and dialogue beyond academia
- project management and time management
- research leadership
- creativity and critical thinking
- knowledge of research methods and technology beyond your own research project
- teaching skills
- mentoring and supervision skills
- entrepreneurship, commercialisation, innovation, patenting and knowledge transfer
- research ethics and integrity
- applying scientific knowledge to policymaking
- problem-solving
- negotiation skills
- networking skills
- skills in writing funding applications
- career planning skills
Having an overview and understanding of your transferable skills can help you communicate your competence effectively in a job search. They can also serve as inspiration for setting goals in a career plan.
Recommended resources
The following resources may be useful for understanding and mapping transferable competence.
- Eurodoc’s report on transferable skills and competences (eurodoc.net)
- Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework (vitae.ac.uk)
Assessment of academic competence
For academic positions, UiO’s matrix for assessment of qualifications provides insight into how research competence is evaluated.