Jobs You Didn’t Know Existed but Could Have The Skills For

Transferrable skills. You have probably heard of this term before, but what exactly are they?

Transferrable skills are skills and abilities that are relevant and helpful across all areas of your life. In your social life, at university and throughout your career:

• Being able to communicate with people (written and verbal communication skills),
• Building relationships (interpersonal skills),
• Working as part of a team (teamwork),
• Meeting deadlines (organisation/time management skills), and
• Completing tasks accurately (attention to detail)

These are all types of activities we do in all aspects of our lives. Although these might seem like trivial or minor things, these transferrable skills are the backbone skills necessary for any career.

Transferrable skills are learned as you grow up and are often further developed from the time you get your first part-time job. So when you start applying for jobs that are related to your industry, don’t dismiss your part-time, retail, or hospitality work! The tasks you are doing probably aren’t directly related to your future career, but the transferrable skills you develop are! All jobs require communicating with others, completing tasks on time or building strong customer relationships.

Have a look at the following jobs you probably didn’t even know existed:

Emoji Translator (x)

Emoji’s are considered a universal language and a way to add some personality to your messages. However you may not be aware, that the meaning of certain emoji’s can vary depending on the culture. Giving someone a thumbs up is a positive gesture, right? Actually, in some cultures it is the equivalent to giving someone the middle finger!

Enter Emoji Translator! Because of the different ways an emoji can be interpreted, it is the role of an Emoji Translator to create an ‘emoji dictionary’. It breaks down the meaning of an emoji based on culture. And if that wasn’t enough, an Emoji Translator also translates the meanings of strings of emojis. With the expansion of emoji every year, this translation guide is being constantly updated.

To be a good emoji translator you’d need good communication skills, emotional intelligence, and a level of interpersonal skills to truly interpret each of their meanings.

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Dog Surfing Coach (x)

Are you an animal lover? Do you enjoy surfing? Why not combine the two! A Dog Surfing Coach at a beach resort in California can turn your furry friend into a professional surfer. They even hold an annual Surf City Surf Dog competition.

According to one of the Dog Surfing Coaches, the techniques are surprisingly similar to teaching humans how to surf, minus the talking of course! Once you have made sure that your furry trainee isn’t afraid of water, apparently dogs are better and faster learners than humans – because four legs versus two!

To ace being a dog surfing coach you need to be focused, stay calm in exciting situations, and have the patience and non-verbal communication skills needed to teach those pups properly.

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Professional Bridesmaid (x)

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride? Why not turn it into a profession! These services can range from a bride having a virtual consultation with a professional bridesmaid to having a professional bridesmaid as the maid of honour at your wedding.

Professional bridesmaids can provide wedding advice, manage the bride’s to-do list and be part of the bridal party on the wedding day. They need to have strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail, are highly organised and can handle the occasional bridezilla.

And guys …. This can become a career for you too, Professional Groomsmen are also a thing!

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Conclusion

The reason I am showing you these quirky jobs is because they all involve using transferrable skills. There is no Bachelor of Emoji Translating, Masters of Dog Surf Coaching or a Diploma to become a Professional Bridesmaid and nor should there be! Regardless of what you are currently studying, your career path is not set.

By identifying your key transferrable skills, you are able to broaden your career options. While they certainly don’t need to be as extreme as the examples above, this advice is designed to show you that often there are many career options out there that match your skills and interests. So take some time to self-reflect on your transferrable skills and your interests – because you never know what jobs you will uncover that you didn’t even know existed!

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash