Transferable Skills - Apply them to something New

Remember being a child and imagining that when you grew up you’d be an Astronaut, a Ballet Dancer, a Teacher, an Athlete, the owner of a Post Office, a Crane Driver, a Fire Fighter …. so many dreams, so much possibility, so many opportunities. Being in the same job for life was something that was the norm. The profession of choice would be where you would stay until retirement. Unless you moved up the ranks and moved to a new company in the same field, your path was set. And often if a “dramatic” change in your personal life occurred, usually a life-changing situation, then and only then, would a drastic change of career take place. How many times have you come across someone who had a high flying job in industry which they gave up to become a gardener, a baker, run a BnB? Whilst, that still happens daily, the world of work has changed beyond recognition. Working in the same job, at the same company for 60 years is no longer the case for current generations and generations to come. Skill sets have changed, those who had a trade that was manual and sought after, may not find that type of work anymore; industries such as banking and insurance, whilst performing nationwide or globally, do not require the manpower they once did. Even the 9-5 is not quite the way it used to be.

If you want to change career path for personal reasons or just because you want a change, think carefully about the You that you Are and the skills that You offer. It’s interesting how many people in the Lettings Industry have actually come from a completely different background- their dream was never to work in property, yet for whatever reason they find their niche. We meet ex-military, ex-insurance specialists, ex-athletes, ex-teachers, ex-police officers, ex-customer service specialists, ex-gas and electrical engineers and so many more looking for something different and bringing with them their transferable skills.

What do these Transferable Skills consist of?

Customer Service/Customer Care Focus - that person who has had training in customer service and brings with them experience of being totally customer facing. They understand client ecxpectations, don’t get fazed or stressed when on the receiving end of a '“tricky or confrontational” situation and trill understands what providing an excellent “customer experience” means. This person has usually been trained by a corporate or been exposed to exceptional professional telephone techniques.

Listen and Learn - That person who stays quiet and pays attention to what is being said. The silence is some deafening, yet paying attention to what is being said is extremely important and an under valued skill.

It’s All in the Detail - If you have ever worked with or met someone who has spent part of their working life in banking, insurance or a corporate, they excel in attention to detail; it the systems and processes they have been used to that adds value to the way that things are done.

Tech and Creativity - The World in general has been turned on its head by Technology and the impact of creativity has been been quite spectacular for so many businesses; from design to marketing to social and digital media, their importance is very clear. This person comes armed with an arsenal of ideas to help establish and improve your brand.

The Actor and Drama Student - Presentation Skills are underrated, yet they come in useful on some many levels, that confidence, professionalism, ability to adapt is great to watch.

Leadership - I have come across so many exceptional people working within the Private Rented Sector, many who started their careers in the military, police force, nursing, or fire service. It is always so obvious that there is something very special about them - it is difficult to pinpoint but often the way they interact and lead, is very different to the norm. Training has an awful lot to do with it - they are specialised in their chosen field and they become what they have chosen to do.

Fresh eyes always help a business - they look at what you do in a very different way and bring something quite interesting, and can add value to what you do. So when choosing a new member of staff, think about the different skill sets that you already have in your team and think carefully about what someone can bring that is a little bit out of the ordinary.