30 Transferable Teaching Skills

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Dear Fellow Teachers,

Whether you’ve dreamed your whole life of being an educator, or you fell into the career as I did, the force that called you to teach is weening, and this is what has brought you here today. I know you’re probably exhausted and stressed, and came here for the basics so I’ll get straight to the point. I am attaching 30 transferrable skills, an explanation of how you used them in the classroom, and the exact words that you can use on your resume.

I am providing this source from one teacher to another because we have to stick together, but If you want to buy your helpful teacher friend a cup of coffee for the efforts of this post, I won’t say no. My Venmo is @mandawrites. I am giving full consent for you to copy/paste anything you find in this article and use it for your resume purposes. I do create resumes as a side job, so if you need help, you can contact me at mandawrites12@gmail.com . I wish you a world of luck on your journey to leave the classroom, and I want to thank you for the years you spent making the world a better place! Thank you!

1. Communication. As teachers, our entire job is communicating with students, parents, administrators, and others to ensure that the student is learning the skills necessary to be successful. Here are some ways to highlight that on your resume: “Effectively maintained communication between various parties.” “Maintained open lines of communication between various parties to adequately address concerns.” “Encouraged an open-door policy to maintain open lines of communication.” “Communicated with levels of efficiency that led to an increase in learning.” “Reported issues promptly leading to appropriate changes being made.”

2. Management. Sometimes we manage our professional leadership communities, sometimes we work with aides or student teachers, sometimes we rise to the level of administration, and sometimes we manage 30+ boisterous children. No matter who it was that you instructed to complete a task, and then guided to success, these skills do count as management. On your resume, you can write: “Managed a team of ___ members.” “Effectively managed a team of __ leading to success.” “Advocated for my team and ensured that our goals were met.” “Authorized changes and approvals for team projects.” “Consolidated several group projects to ensure efficiency.” “Fostered several colleagues while they learned the skills necessary to be successful in the field.” “Initiated changes that led to increased effectiveness.” “Planned content to ensure alignment between tasks.” “Unified my team to ensure the mutual success of our collective clients.”

3. Teamwork. Teamwork is a cornerstone of being an educator. We have professional leadership communities, we have departments, we have specific administrators that we work with, we have groups in small leadership communities as well, and we work with counselors, diagnosticians, and all manners of other people to ensure that our students are successful. Teamwork is the foundation of being a teacher. On your resume: “Cooperated with the team to meet assigned deadlines” “Created/ Contributed to team synergy” “Accomplished tasks in concert with a group of ___ people to lead my team to success.” “Participated in (various activities) in the role of ____________ with (outcome.)” “Strive to build harmony in a team with many moving pieces/positions” “Worked in union with ________ to effectively_________” “Thrives in a team environment” “Self-motivated person who adapts well to the team-based environment.”

4. Critical thinking. Teachers make more minute-by-minute decisions than most other professionals. From deciding what to teach and how, to break up classroom fights, to acting quickly in an emergency, we are constantly on edge. For your resume, “Observed environment and behaviors to establish effective teams.” “Interpreted standards and expectations to build effective assignments.” “Analyzed test results to determine what information requires readdress.” Made judicious and well-informed decisions when addressing problems.” “Evaluated content to ensure that vertical alignment was taking place.” “Educated clients on how to address context clues to make more informed decisions and think critically.”

5. Social Skills. Teachers, even the most introverted ones, must have social skills. We are required to teach to a room full of people we don’t know on our first days, we meet new students on a rather frequent basis, and we have to work with other team members from district leadership to parents, and everyone in between. For your resume. “Adapted to various personality traits to adequately communicate with a wide array of clients.” “Strong interpersonal skills used to build trust with clients.” “Dedication to building rapport with all clients to ensure a strong learning commitment and community.” “Ability to have intense analytical conversations as well as the soft skills to communicate with others respectfully in passing.” “Strong social competence and ability to adapt to new environments quickly.”

6. Active Listening. We all hear the things that are happening around us, but do we listen? That, my dears, is the question. Just as doctors are the worst patients, teachers can sometimes be the worst students; but when it really comes down to taking in the information they need, and later utilizing it, we are often some of the best. For the resume: “Reflected on professional development training to better utilize strategies. Summarized multiple trainings identifying the most useful tools to practice with my clients.” “Asked clarifying questions when approaching new concepts.” “Provided clarification of concepts, standards, and information for novice team members.” “Exhibited empathy and withheld judgment in situations until all facts were presented.”

7. Skills Management. As teachers, we are required to find the silver lining in every single cloud that rages above us. One of our greatest skills is working with individuals and determining not only what skills they have, but how they can be utilized and encouraged to help individuals become successful. “Identify skills in team members to better match them to assigned tasks.” “Effectively bridge gaps between incomplete tasks, and those who have the skills to complete them.” “Coordinate tasks based on skill sets to meet corporate goals.”

8. Instruction. This one is obvious, so here we go. Resume: “Utilize standards to create skills-based assignments that meet mandated guidelines.” “Disseminate information in a way that is tailored to the client’s needs and understanding.” “Educated a class load of ____on the content of ____” “Demonstrated ability to instruct and increase retention as evidenced by a ___passing rate on state exams.” “Mentored team members on how to adequately teach content.” “Coached team on test-taking procedures and practices.”

9. Problem Solving. Many have made the comments over the years that we feel more like babysitters than educators, and it’s common to feel more like you’re there to solve problems than there to teach. We are constantly putting out little fires, and so it’s important to give ourselves credit where credit is due. This particular situation is specific to your experience, but I can put an example from my resume, as well as some sentence stems to guide yours. Resume: “Acquired a new language to overcome a language barrier and effectively communicate with students.”

10. Decision Making. As I mentioned under Critical thinking, teachers make minute-by-minute decisions regularly. We have to be able to adapt in a quick second with very little time to process the consequence. “Ability to prioritize tasks in order of importance.” “Scaffolding expectations in the moment to better suit clients needs.” “Analyze situations to determine the best course of action.” “Mediate situations in the office to ensure maximum efficiency for the business.” You want to think of specific in-the-moment decisions that you have had to make that ultimately led to a positive outcome for your school and students, or as we will refer to them on the resume, business, and clients.

11. Creativity. Have you ever tried reading Oedipus to a bunch of 10th graders who are obsessed with TIK TOK” and how many followers they have? This is probably some of what led you to this article. Teachers are not only creators, they must consistently adapt and adjust to present the lessons and standards in a way that is creative, intriguing, and can hold their attention long enough for them to learn. Please personalize this part in a way that truly highlights your skills. Here are some from my resume: “Created a student agenda complete with assignments from bell ringers to exit tickets covering the full range of standards for the school year.” “Incorporated an art project into a mandatory reading which led to students creating a “Class Quilt” that was put on display for the school.” “Guided students in writing a “Ted Talk” about their personal experience that could be utilized for college admissions purposes.”

12. Collaboration. Nuff Said. For the resume: “Coordinated with multiple departments to ensure standards were met.” “Collaborated with various teams to keep clients on track.” “Utilized skills-based analysis to produce standards-based assignments.” “Acquainted myself with the appropriate teams to stay up to date on company changes.”

13. Instructional Design. The most important expectation from education is not that we regurgitate information, but that we can disseminate it in a way that allows the students to listen, internalize, and ultimately learn. “Analysed client’s needs to develop relevant learning materials.” “Kept current on learning processes and methods to better utilize them in the classroom.” “Created lessons complete with scaffolds to actively engage students at all learning levels.” “Considered differentiation when creating complex assignments.” “Created coordinated assignments taking vertical alignment into account.”

14. Computer Literacy. This part will depend wholly on you. You want to highlight the skills that you’ve used and learned while teaching. For the specific jobs that I have researched for myself, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are the biggest pluses. If you have something else you can bring to the table that carries over, please highlight your skills! “Proficient in Microsoft Office.” “Created interactive slide presentations using Canva.” “Utilized company-preferred programs to enrich client’s experience.”

15. Reading Comprehension. This one will come in handy when you want to transition to a job like a paralegal or analysis position that requires the ability to not only read but understand what’s presented to you. These examples can fall in line with analysis, but the specific wording will vary depending on the jobs you’re looking for. For your resume: “Adequately summarize texts” “Ability to make advanced inferences on provided data” “Strategically create questions based on information read.” “Provided detailed reiteration of information shared.” “Create documents and summaries of information provided.”

16. Presenting. Teachers are required to present information they know to students, and sometimes other educators. For resume: “Participated in awards ceremonies to celebrate team members.” “Provided presentations on related content to groups of 25+” “Participated in conference presentations and fully utilized information learned.” “Created presentations to showcase business procedures with colleagues.”

17. Time Management. As teachers, we have about 80-100 hours of work weekly, and will only ever be compensated for 40. As times are changing and people are becoming more determined to fight for work/life balance, time management is more crucial than ever before. I know every teacher has their own story of how they effectively managed their time, so definitely use yours, and I’ll provide just a couple. Resume: “Successfully created standards-based assignments for 5 different preps over 6 class periods.” “Managed client schedule to allow time for current and make-up work to consecutively occur.”

18. Emotional Intelligence. Such a huge part of teaching is making sure that our kids are in a position to learn. Have you read the poem, “’Cause I ain’t got no pencil?” If you haven’t, definitely take a minute. If there are specific examples that you can share while keeping F.E.R.P.A. in mind, please do. Resume: “Exercised compassion when working with all clients.” “Sensitive approach to home life when creating and distributing tasks.” “Sympathetic to the hierarchy of needs when assigning tasks.”

19. Public Speaking. This one may or may not be something you did as a teacher. I taught high school English, Public Communications, and volunteered for multiple programs that required me to speak at events. If this isn’t something you did, no worries, focus on what you did; I bet it was a lot! Resume: “Created speeches on relevant content upon request.” “Presented new ideas and programs to large groups.” “Utilized advanced technology to present at large seminars.” “Created and proofed various speeches to prepare for presentation.”

20. Project Management. Whether you’ve participated in groups, or extracurriculars, or simply led a project within your classroom, chances are that you have project management skills. Resume: “Led the senior class through various fundraisers, event coordination, a senior trip, and through to graduation.” “Guided team to complete tasks and meet goals within the coordinated time frame.” “Oversaw multiple successful projects which were personally coordinated.”

21. Conflict Resolution. Obvious. Resume: “Guided team through personal conflicts to find resolution.” “Adequately sought solutions when issues occurred.” “Guided team to success in the face of conflict.” “Negotiated more favorable terms during group mergers.” “Mediated disputes between team members and administration.”

22. Data Analysis. This one is a given for core teachers, but admittedly during my one year of elective education, I never saw that this was utilized. So please feel free to share examples in the comments if you have any. Resume: “Reconstructed exams and assignments based on data from testing.” “Analyzed test data to ensure that standards were adequately understood.” “Utilized data to determine which standards required reassessment.” “Created groups and teams based on data.”

23. Attention to Detail. In education, the details are the difference between learning and hearing. It’s crucial to focus on them and use them to differentiate and ensure that our students are getting the best education possible. Resume: “Retained names and habits of over 185 new clients annually to cater my services to their needs.” “Gained understanding of differences in abilities to individualize work to each client.” “Ensured that all caveats of individual standards were addressed to adequately encourage learning.” “Anticipated issues in lessons to ensure they were addressed before teaching.”

24. Organization. Teachers have to be organized to be functional. Even those who have a mess of papers on their desks, likely know where Steve’s paper is that he turned in last week on a Wednesday. It is how we function, and how we are successful. Resume: “Managed several contents annually.” “Adapted and adjusted to teaching several subjects daily on a year-to-year basis.” “Created and tracked assignments for close to 200 clients annually.” “Implemented a grade tracking structure which was utilized to track 3 entries weekly, over 36 weeks, for close to 200 clients.”

25. Self Motivated. Encouragement can run low in a society that treats educators as the enemy a lot of the time. It is crucial to manage yourself, your time, and most of all, to motivate yourself in an often thankless position. Resume: “Practiced self-motivation to ensure all outstanding tasks were completed daily.” “Sought and found inner peace as an encouragement to continue in an often thankless position.” “Took initiative in keeping up to date with changes in standards and expectations.” “Proactively planned and prepared standards-based assignments with differentiation for large groups of clients.” “Anticipated issues and prepared plausible solutions to prepare for them.”

26. Adaptability. How many times were you told that standards were changed or laws were coming that would affect your ability to teach? In Texas, it happens quite frequently, and yet we adapt. Resume: “Adjusted to new standards on an annual basis.” “Adapted to expectations of the state and corporate office regularly.” “Consistently met expectations, often with changes made on short notice.” “Adapted to new programs that were introduced on an annual basis, and implemented these new programs in daily procedures.”

27. Interpersonal Skills. This goes hand in hand with communication and is a fancier way of saying you communicate well. Resume: “Ability to communicate effectively with diverse communities.” “Approached difficult situations with ease.” “Utilized de-escalation skills to guide difficult scenarios.”

28. Flexibility. Adaptability is more long-term, whereas flexibility is in the moment. They are very similar but can be highlighted differently on your resume. Resume: “Stepped in to meet business needs during an unplanned absence.” “Adjusted to different schedules to accommodate assemblies and ceremonies highlight business success.” “Effectively guided clients in a different subject matter when business needs necessitated coverage.”

29. Patience. As educators, we spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for respect, waiting for a raise, waiting for courtesy, waiting for assignments to be graded, etc. Resume: “Exercised patience when providing assignments to team.” “Resiliency when tasked with pending changes.”

30. Empathy. Empathy is often defined as the difference between being a good teacher and a bad one. Resume: “Empathetic when dealing with clients, their leaders, and all employees.” “Approach situations from an empathetic perspective.” “Show empathy towards clients when important deadlines are missed.” “Exercise empathy towards parents when dealing with difficult students.”

I know this post is fairly elaborate, but I hope it is useful to those who opted to read it. Whether you read the whole thing, scrutinized each bullet, or skimmed to copy and paste, I hope this was helpful and that it made a difference in your ability to find a job. I am very excited to say that after being out of work for a full month, I have found my way out of education. I did take a pay cut, but I am confident that my sanity will get an upgrade. I wish you all the world. I have a few more resume tips I’ll add in another post. If you like the content and need/want more, don’t hesitate to subscribe and comment on what you’d like to see. Please be advised that I wrote this myself without any help from AI or other sources, so if there are errors, let me know so I can fix them. If you have advice that worked for you, please comment on it. Let’s make this an active discussion so we can stand by each other and help each other move forward. Best wishes all!

<3 Love Marie <3