Many students don’t realise skills gained through part-time work, volunteering, and even University projects are transferable and contribute to overall employability skills. So, how can beer be relevant for working in a professional role? Well, if you have ever poured a beer behind bar, you will have developed some useful transferable skills. As a bar person, how many times have you had to deal with a demanding customer that requires you to maintain a professional yet friendly rapport with that customer? In this scenario, you may have developed communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.

What about when cooking a BBQ as a volunteer? This role may not involve direct customer interaction, but may require you to work in a team environment, be organised, and work in a timely and efficient manner.

Have you participated in a group presentation at University? If so, requires teamwork, communication, and project management – all are transferable skills.

The fact is, you develop a broad range of skills from a variety of experiences. While there are specific technical skills related to particular jobs, it is your transferable skills that can be used in a wide range of professional roles. Communication, teamwork, leadership, customer service, and problem-solving skills are just some of the competencies that are highly valued by employers, because they are crucial elements of success in every profession. So, the message is, don’t underestimate the importance of your transferable skills.

Developing awareness of transferable skills from experiences, such as pouring a beer, can be empowering and will help enhance your professional job application process.