5 Real-Life Skills You Learned At School

Written by Nicola Wylie
developingastudent

Are you a student looking to grow your real-life skills for your future career development? The good news is you may already have a lot more transferable skills than you think. 

When we think of the skills we learn at school, we tend to focus on academic achievements, such as proficiency in maths, English, and science. However, students actually hone many more job-friendly skills during their time in the classroom. For instance, school is where you build your empathy, communication, and critical thinking skills. These are important soft skills that will set you up for a successful career in the future. For students, the key is learning how to identify and emphasise transferable skills on their CV. 

In this guide, we touch on 5 key soft skills that you learned at school. You’ll discover how they can be applied to real-life work experience and why employers value them. 

 

What are Transferable Skills?

Transferable skills are universal soft skills that can be applied to almost any job role or industry. They are real-life skills that you develop through life experiences. In the workplace, skills are typically categorised as soft skills or technical (hard) skills. As a student, you most likely won’t have developed many technical skills yet. These include skills such as coding or language skills. However, you have likely picked up some useful soft skills that will be beneficial to your employer.

Most employers value soft skills just as much as hard skills. Therefore, the skills you learn at school can be extremely helpful when applying for jobs. Examples of soft skills include communication, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Therefore, when students begin searching for jobs, they should leverage these transferable soft skills.

But why are soft skills so valuable to employers? Skills such as communication may seem relatively common or basic, but they are actually rarer than you’d think. Soft skills are much more difficult to train, so candidates who already possess them are huge assets. Put simply, it is much easier to train a junior employee on software than to develop their people skills.

We begin honing our soft skills at school. So, if you’re a student looking to boost your employability, it’s time to start identifying your student skillset.

5 Real-Life Transferable Skills Students Develop at School

One of the best pieces of advice for students is to focus on soft skills. Here’s why. Whether you’re looking for part-time jobs for students or graduate opportunities, you will need to write a CV. A CV showcases your skills and experience, giving you an opportunity to outline why you’re right for the job. 

With not much tangible experience to note, soft skills will be your secret weapon. Remember, it’s all about personal branding. You need to identify your real-life skills and market them to your future employer.

We’ve compiled a list of 5 transferable skills to make your CV stand out from the crowd

1. Collaboration skills

Collaboration is a critical competency in the workforce. Almost every job role on the planet involves working with a team. Therefore, employers highly value employees who demonstrate high collaboration skills. As a student, you have most likely been involved in a number of team activities. From group projects to team sports, school life puts a lot of emphasis on collaboration. As a result, most students have learned how to effectively work with others by the time they leave school.

While group assignments are most students’ nightmare, they will come in handy in the long run. Learning how to navigate that one team member who doesn’t pull their weight will set you up for success in your future career. Yes, unfortunately, you will experience lazy team members in the workplace too. Working on team projects at school is an opportunity to build empathy, compromise, and motivate your team members. These are real-life skills that will empower you to flourish in any career path.

Collaboration skills are highly sought after in most industries, but they are particularly valued in the following fields.

  • Project management
  • Marketing 
  • Advertising 
  • Human resources 
  • IT 
  • Leadership
  • Public sector 

 2. Communication skills

The secret ingredient to a successful team is great communication. In fact, data from LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trend reported that communication skills are among the most in-demand skills for employers. So what exactly do they mean when they say communication? Well, communication is a broad term that covers listening, effective written and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills. Good communications can both convey their own ideas and actively listen to others.

Good communicators are the backbone of any business. They contribute to a positive, non-toxic work culture, reducing misunderstandings and disagreements. This is extremely beneficial to employers. A bad working environment can result in a loss of productivity, high staff turnover, and a loss of revenue. Now let’s look at how school builds communication skills.

One of the most important skills you learn at school is how to articulate your feelings and ideas. From written work to communicating with your peers, you spend every day speaking, writing, listening, and practising empathy. When it comes to searching for jobs for students, it’s important to highlight your communication skills. Try to use examples of when you have used your communication skills to solve a problem. 

Here are a few professions where good communication skills are highly valued.

  • Teaching
  • Law
  • Healthcare & medicine
  • Psychology 
  • Social work
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Customer service

3. Critical thinking / Problem-solving skills

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills prepare students to think independently. What’s more, they empower students to navigate their lives better. This isn’t just an important real-life skill, it’s also a core professional competency.

Employers want workers who can work autonomously. This includes handling the unexpected and using their initiative. As such, managers can trust employees to solve issues that arise without needing constant assistance. When employees lack critical thinking or problem-solving skills, this tends to lead to micro-managing. This can negatively impact team atmosphere and performance. Put simply, employees who demonstrate critical thinking skills are better equipped to handle the complexities of working life.

So how does school build critical thinking and problem-solving skills? There are many ways that school develops student skills in critical thinking. For instance, project-based learning, puzzles, and real-life case studies all develop your abilities. Students also hone their skills in these areas in the playground. Navigating the complexities of student life requires a level of problem-solving and an ability to analyse situations. In a nutshell, students should showcase their critical thinking skills on their CV with real-life examples from the classroom.

We’ve listed several professions that require high critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

  • Lawyer
  • Judge
  • Police officer
  • Project manager
  • Air traffic controller
  • Data scientist
  • Doctor

4. Time management skills

From classes to homework to after-school activities, school is a very regimented time in our lives. In order to stay on top of homework and get to class on time, students must follow a strict schedule.  As a result, students quickly learn time-management skills. 

Time management skills are another extremely desirable soft skill for employers. This is because workers with good time-management skills tend to be more productive. They can stay on top of their workload better and don’t disrupt meetings by arriving late. 

When it comes to promoting your student skills in a job interview, it’s a great idea to outline your time management skills. For instance, tell your future employer about a time when you were able to juggle several different assignments at once. This is where your extracurricular activities come in. They prove that you are able to handle a lot of commitments simultaneously. 

Managing your time is a key competency in all professions, however, it is absolutely critical in the following positions.

  • Wedding planner
  • Personal assistant
  • Dentist
  • CEO
  • Doctor
  • Project manager

5. Adaptability / Flexibility skills

Flexibility has become a highly in-demand soft skill among employers. In fact, since 2019 there has been an 83% increase in mentions of flexibility in job descriptions. This is great news for students. School life prepares you to be flexible. As a student, you are constantly put in new situations where you need to adapt on the spot. Schedule changes, surprise tests, and a switch to distance learning have all contributed to your ability to be flexible.  This will stand you in good stead throughout your career.

Change happens. Whether it’s a new organizational structure, a global pandemic, or a shift in market trends, businesses have to pivot. Therefore, employees who are flexible and able to adapt to business changes are extremely valuable. They show resiliency and a growth mindset. As a student looking for work, you should highlight your flexibility and resilience. For instance, summarise how you were able to adapt to a big change in your life. Employers will appreciate you demonstrating a real-life skill. 

The following job roles require employees to be adaptable.

  • Chef 
  • Nursing staff
  • Cabin crew
  • Business developers
  • Business owners
  • Managers
  • Public relations professionals
  • Actors

 

Final Thoughts

Some say that school is the best time in your life. While this may not be true for everyone, it is a time when you learn a lot of real-life skills. These skills, also known as soft skills, can seriously increase your employability. As a result, it’s important not to overlook them when looking for student or graduate jobs. We hope this guide has helped you to identify what transferable skills you learned at school and how to apply them to real life.

Looking for your next opportunity? Be sure to also check out our dedicated Student and Graduate Jobs Board for fantastic opportunities in your area.

Our website has a wealth of useful resources for student jobseekers, including CV writing tips and advice on writing an impactful cover letter. If you have specific questions, feel free to contact us or sign up for the free Developing a Student email newsletter with the form below.   

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Last Updated: Wednesday July 27 2022
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