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Understanding Your Transferable Skills

Most people have more skills than they realise. Whether you’ve worked in different industries, taken time away from paid work, volunteered, or raised a family, you have developed abilities that employers value. These are called transferable skills, and they often come from everyday life—not just jobs.

What Transferable Skills Are

Transferable skills are abilities you can use across many workplaces and industries. They demonstrate that you can adapt, learn, and contribute in a wide range of roles.

Common transferable skills include:

Communication
Teamwork
Organisation
Problem solving
Time management
Customer service
Digital confidence

Example:
If you have worked in a café or fast‑food restaurant, you already know how to:

Communicate with customers
Manage time during busy periods
Stay calm under pressure

These skills transfer beautifully into admin, retail, hospitality, community services and more.

How Life Experience Builds These Transferable Skills

Everyday life teaches powerful skills that employers value:

Parenting: managing routines, organising schedules, communicating with schools, problem‑solving daily
Volunteering: teamwork, empathy, responsibility, reliability
Moving towns or travelling: resilience, adaptability, independence
Playing sport: teamwork, leadership, commitment
Any previous job: specific skills plus core employability strengths

Employers see these as indicators of capability and strong character.

What Employers Value

Jobs and Skills Australia highlights communication, problem solving, care‑based abilities, and digital confidence as some of the most in‑demand employment strengths across the Australian workforce. These skills matter in nearly every role.

Helpful resource:
👉 JobAccess Skills Information
https://www.jobaccess.gov.au

How to Identify Your Strengths

A simple way to identify your transferable skills is to list activities from different parts of your life and think about the abilities behind them.

Griffith University recommends breaking down regular activities to uncover skills like leadership, teamwork and communication.

Examples:

Coordinating school pickups → planning and coordination
Helping solve disagreements → communication and negotiation
Fixing things at home → practical problem solving
Managing household tasks → organisation and time management

Once you can name your skills, it becomes much easier to express them to employers.

Further reading:
👉 Skill identification frameworks
https://www.dlook.com.au

Using These Skills in Your Job Search

Knowing your transferable skills helps you describe your strengths clearly and confidently. Australian employment research shows that understanding your abilities improves job readiness and boosts confidence during interviews.

Example:
Instead of saying:

“I stayed home with the kids.”

Try:

“I managed daily routines, communicated with schools, and supported learning, which strengthened my organisation and communication skills.”

This gives employers a clear understanding of your value—and why you’re a great candidate.

Additional resource:
👉 Job readiness guidance
https://au.indeed.com

TURSA Is Here to Help

If you’re unsure how to identify your strengths or how to present them to employers, TURSA is ready to support you. Our team can help you:

Identify your transferable skills
Build confidence
Communicate your strengths clearly
Prepare for interviews
Connect with training or job opportunities

We’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Discover Your Strengths with TURSA

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Staying motivated during a long job search can feel overwhelming—but you’re not alone. Many job seekers experience cycles of hope, frustration, and doubt. The good news? With a few simple strategies and the right support, you can stay focused, confident, and ready for the right opportunity when it arrives.

Understand the Emotional Stages of Job Searching

Job seekers often experience predictable phases: initial optimism, frustration, self‑doubt, and eventually renewed determination. Understanding these emotions can help you recognise that what you’re feeling is completely normal—not a sign of failure.

Research in psychology highlights that acknowledging emotions helps reduce stress and increases resilience during periods of unemployment (Source: Careerday Blog – The Psychology of Job Searching).

Why this matters:
Recognising emotional patterns allows you to step back, reset, and refocus—rather than feeling stuck or discouraged.

Helpful resource:

The Psychology of Job Searching: Maintaining Motivation and Mental Health | Careerday Blog
https://careerday.com/blog/the-psychology-of-job-searching

Create a Simple, Sustainable Routine

Maintaining structure is proven to improve mental wellbeing during unemployment. Setting regular “job search hours,” creating a dedicated workspace, and giving yourself achievable daily goals helps the process feel organised instead of overwhelming.

A consistent routine helps you:

Maintain momentum
Reduce stress
Avoid burnout
Build healthy job‑search habits

Learn how TURSA supports job seekers with structure and personalised job search guidance:

Workforce Australia Provider | Tursa Employment & Training

Create a Simple, Sustainable Routine

A consistent routine helps you:

Maintain momentum
Reduce stress
Avoid burnout
Build healthy job‑search habits

Learn how TURSA supports job seekers with structure and personalised job search guidance:

Workforce Australia Provider | Tursa Employment & Training

Celebrate Small Wins

Long job searches often lack positive reinforcement. Small achievements, sending an application, updating your résumé, making a phone call, help rebuild motivation by offering those “reward moments” your brain needs. Experts recommend tracking and celebrating these small steps to maintain a sense of progress. [hr.linkedin.com]

Every little step counts, and acknowledging them boosts confidence.

Stay Connected and Supported

Talking to others, whether it’s networking conversations, support from friends, or guidance from employment services, increases motivation and reduces feelings of isolation. Experts highlight that connecting with people in industries you’re interested in keeps you energised and opens unexpected opportunities. [hr.linkedin.com]

Reaching out isn’t just practical, it strengthens your emotional resilience too.

Look After Your Mental Wellbeing

Unemployment can take a toll, with surveys showing that many job seekers experience increased stress and emotional strain.
Practising self‑compassion, pacing yourself, and making time for activities that lift your mood can help you stay motivated long‑term. [jobaccess.gov.au]

Remember: A long job search doesn’t reflect your worth. TURSA is here to support you with practical help, confidence building, and personalised guidance whenever you need it.

In Australia, most medium‑to‑large employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes before a recruiter reads them. Many employers also use AI tools inside these systems to rank candidates. If your resume is hard for software to read, it may never reach a hiring manager.

This Australia‑specific guide explains what an ATS is, how it’s used by Australian employers, and how to write a resume that is easy for both software and people to read.

Quick Summary (If You’re in a Hurry)

Use a simple, one‑column layout (no tables, no text boxes).
Use standard headings Australian recruiters expect (Summary, Experience, Skills, Education).
Match your resume to each job ad using the same skill words (without keyword stuffing).
Save your resume as DOCX or a clean PDF exported from Word or Google Docs.
Show results using numbers (%, $, time saved, growth).
Use Australian spelling (organisation, programme, analyse).

What Is an ATS? (Plain English)

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software employers use to collect resumes, pull out key details (name, skills, work history), and sort candidates. In Australia, ATS platforms are widely used by large employers, government roles, universities, healthcare providers, and companies advertising on SEEK, Indeed, and LinkedIn.

Many ATS platforms now include AI and language tools that check how closely your resume matches the job description.

What the software usually does:

Reads your resume and turns it into data (called “parsing”).
Looks for skills, job titles, and experience that match the role.
Ranks resumes so recruiters can review the best matches first.

How ATS Is Used in Australia (What’s Different)

1. Selection Criteria and Capability Language

Australian employers—especially government, health, education, and not‑for‑profit organisations—often use selection criteria or capability frameworks. ATS systems scan resumes for these exact terms.

Simple tip: If a job ad lists capabilities (for example, communication, stakeholder engagement, compliance), include those words in your resume and back them up with short examples.

2. Skills‑Based Screening Is Growing

Australian hiring is moving more towards skills‑based hiring, especially for corporate, tech, marketing, and operations roles. ATS systems place strong weight on:

Skills sections
Job titles
Recent experience

Simple tip: Put your Skills section near the top of your resume.

3. Clean Design Still Matters

Even in 2026, ATS systems used in Australia can struggle with:

Tables and columns
Text boxes
Icons and graphics
Canva‑style layouts

A simple Word‑style layout is still the safest option.

The Safest ATS‑Friendly Resume Format (Australia)

Use this structure (clear and familiar to Australian recruiters):

Name + Contact Details

(City/State is enough — do not include full address)

Professional Summary (3–5 short lines)
Key Skills (clear list)
Work Experience (most recent first)
Education
Certifications / Licences (if required)

Formatting rules that work well in Australia:

One column only
Simple fonts (Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman)
Bullet points, not long paragraphs
No photos (not required or expected in Australia)
No date of birth, marital status, or visa details unless requested

Step‑By‑Step: Make Your Resume ATS‑Friendly (Australia)

Step 1: Copy Key Words From the Job Ad

Open the job ad and highlight:

Skills (for example: stakeholder management, WHS, SEO, budgeting)
Tools (for example: Salesforce, GA4, Power BI, Microsoft 365)
Qualifications or licences (degree, Certificate IV, White Card, etc.)

These are the words the ATS is most likely to scan for.

Step 2: Use Standard Section Headings

ATS software recognises common headings best. Use:

Professional Summary
Work Experience

Skills
Education

Avoid creative headings like “My Journey” or “What I Bring”.

Step 3: Write Strong Bullet Points (With Results)

Use this simple formula:

Action + what you did + result

Examples (Australian‑style):

Increased website leads by 28% by improving on‑page SEO and content structure.
Reduced customer response times by 25% by introducing a new triage process.
Supported a $500k project delivery by coordinating suppliers and internal teams.

Numbers make your experience clearer for both ATS software and recruiters.

Step 4: Build a Clear Skills Section

List skills that directly match the job ad.

Example:

Stakeholder engagement
Project coordination
SEO and content optimisation
Google Analytics (GA4)
CRM systems (Salesforce)

Australian ATS systems often give strong weight to skills and job titles, so keep this section simple and easy to scan.

Step 5: Save the Right File Type

For Australian employers, the safest file formats are:

DOCX (Microsoft Word)
PDF exported from Word or Google Docs

Avoid scanned PDFs or image‑only files.

Step 6: Do a Quick “Plain Text” Check

Copy your resume text and paste it into Notes or Notepad.

If it looks messy or out of order, the ATS may also struggle to read it.

Common Resume Mistakes in Australia (Easy to Avoid)

Using two‑column or design‑heavy layouts
Including photos or personal details that aren’t required
Using US spelling instead of Australian spelling
Sending the same resume for every role
Ignoring selection criteria or capability wording

Helpful Links (Australia‑Relevant Resources)

These trusted Australian and global resources support the advice on this page:

FREE ATS-Friendly Resume Templates
SEEK Career Advice (Australia): https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice
Indeed Australia — ATS resume tips: https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters
Microsoft Word — ATS‑friendly resume templates: https://word.cloud.microsoft/create/en/ats-templates/
Australian Government — APS recruitment guidance: https://www.apsc.gov.au/working-aps/joining-aps/recruitment
AI resume screening explained (2025–2026): https://blog.theinterviewguys.com/how-many-companies-are-using-ai-to-review-resumes/

FAQ (Australia‑Specific)

Do Australian employers use ATS software?

Yes. ATS systems are widely used across corporate roles, government, universities, healthcare, and large organisations in Australia.

Should I include a photo on my resume in Australia?

No. Photos are not required and are generally avoided in Australian resumes.

Is Word or PDF better for Australian ATS systems?

DOCX is often the safest option. Clean PDFs exported from Word or Google Docs also work well.

Do I need to tailor my resume for every job?

Yes. Even small changes to skills and keywords can improve your ATS match score.

TEL 1800 670 914

Understanding Your Transferable Skills

What Transferable Skills Are

How Life Experience Builds These Transferable Skills

What Employers Value

How to Identify Your Strengths

Using These Skills in Your Job Search

TURSA Is Here to Help

Discover Your Strengths with TURSA

Understand the Emotional Stages of Job Searching

Create a Simple, Sustainable Routine

Create a Simple, Sustainable Routine

Celebrate Small Wins

Stay Connected and Supported

Look After Your Mental Wellbeing

Quick Summary (If You’re in a Hurry)

What Is an ATS? (Plain English)

How ATS Is Used in Australia (What’s Different)

1. Selection Criteria and Capability Language

2. Skills‑Based Screening Is Growing

3. Clean Design Still Matters

The Safest ATS‑Friendly Resume Format (Australia)

Step‑By‑Step: Make Your Resume ATS‑Friendly (Australia)

Step 1: Copy Key Words From the Job Ad

Step 2: Use Standard Section Headings

Step 3: Write Strong Bullet Points (With Results)

Step 4: Build a Clear Skills Section

Step 5: Save the Right File Type

Step 6: Do a Quick “Plain Text” Check

Common Resume Mistakes in Australia (Easy to Avoid)

Helpful Links (Australia‑Relevant Resources)

FAQ (Australia‑Specific)

Optional Internal Links

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