The Transferable Skills and Competency Framework highlights abilities and attributes that underpin effective performance, supporting a flexible and inclusive professional approach to career planning.
Considering transferable skills can be a starting point in identifying opportunities for job mobility, and in supporting you to recognise and build on your personal strengths. You can develop and refine these transferable skills through working experience and through learning interventions as part of your Personal and Professional Development.
The UCL Career Frameworks map transferable skills to job families. This is designed to support staff to identify roles that might suit you, and to support recruiters to identify potential for high performance.
UCL uses the Universal Competency Framework (UCF) to discuss transferable skills. The UCF has been developed for use across different sectors, professions and countries (see Bartram, D. 2002).
Transferable skills
Deciding and initiating action
- Making decisions.
- Taking responsibility.
- Acting with Confidence.
- Acting on own initiative.
- Taking action.
- Taking calculated risks
Relating and networking
- Building rapport.
- Networking.
- Relating across levels.
- Managing conflict.
- Using humour.
Applying expertise and technology
- Applying technical expertise.
- Building technical expertise.
- Sharing expertise.
- Using technology resources.
- Demonstrating physical and manual skills.
- Demonstrating cross-functional awareness.
- Demonstrating spatial awareness.
Formulating strategies and concepts
- Thinking broadly.
- Approaching work strategically.
- Setting and developing strategy.
- Visioning.
Adapting and responding to change
- Adapting.
- Accepting new ideas.
- Adapting interpersonal style.
- Showing cross-cultural awareness.
- Dealing with ambiguity.
Leading and supervising
- Providing direction and co-ordinating action.
- Supervising and monitoring behaviour.
- Coaching.
- Delegating.
- Empowering staff.
- Motivating others.
- Developing staff.
- Identifying and recruiting talent.
Working with people
- Understanding others.
- Adapting to the team.
- Building team spirit.
- Recognising and rewarding contributions.
- Listening.
- Consulting others.
- Communicating proactively.
- Showing tolerance and consideration.
- Showing empathy.
- Supporting others.
- Caring for others.
- Developing and communicating self-knowledge and insight.
Adhering to principles and values
- Upholding ethics and values.
- Acting with integrity.
- Utilising diversity.
- Showing social and environmental responsibility.
Persuading and influencing
- Making an impact.
- Shaping conversations.
- Appealing to emotions.
- Promoting ideas.
- Negotiating and gaining agreement.
- Dealing with political issues.
Presenting and communicating information
- Speaking fluently.
- Explaining concepts and opinions.
- Articulating key points of an argument. Presenting and public speaking.
- Projecting credibility.
- Responding to an audience.
Writing and reporting
- Writing correctly.
- Writing clearly and fluently.
- Writing in an expressive and engaging style.
- Targeting communication.
Analysing
- Analysing and evaluating information.
- Testing assumptions and investigating.
- Producing solutions.
- Making judgements.
- Demonstrating systems thinking.
Learning and researching
- Learning quickly.
- Gathering information.
- Thinking quickly.
- Encouraging and supporting organisational learning.
- Managing knowledge.
Creating and innovating
- Innovating.
- Seeking and introducing change.
Planning and organising
- Setting objectives.
- Planning.
- Managing time.
- Managing resources.
- Monitoring progress.
Developing results and setting customer expectations
- Focusing on customer needs and
satisfaction. - Setting high standards for
quality. - Monitoring and maintaining quality.
- Working systematically.
- Managing quality
processes. - Maintaining productivity levels.
- Driving projects to success.
Following instructions and procedures
- Following directions.
- Following procedures.
- Time keeping and attending.
- Demonstrating commitment.
- Showing awareness of safety issues.
- Complying with legal obligations.
Coping with pressure and setbacks
- Coping with pressures.
- Showing emotional self-control.
- Balancing work and personal life.
- Maintaining a positive outlook.
- Handling criticism.
Achieving personal work goals and objectives
- Achieving objectives.
- Working energetically and enthusiastically.
- Pursuing self-development.
- Demonstrating ambition.
Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
- Monitoring markets and competitors.
- Identifying business opportunities.
- Demonstrating financial awareness.
- Controlling costs.
- Keeping aware of organisational issues.
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