You’re More Qualified Than You Think: The Power of Transferable Skills

When I left the hospitality industry, I worried I was leaving my skill set behind too. After years of managing teams, planning events, navigating high-pressure service situations, and solving a dozen problems before lunch—I stepped into a completely different industry: insurance.

At first glance, nothing about my background screamed “insurance office manager.” I didn’t have experience in underwriting. I didn’t speak the language of policies and endorsements. I wasn’t familiar with the software. But what I did have was a toolkit that’s much more universal than people realize.

And what I learned quickly is this: skills are more transferable than you think.

The Packaging Might Change. The Value Doesn’t.

It’s easy to assume that skills only matter within the same industry. That if you want to change careers, you’re starting from scratch. But the truth is, most of what makes you valuable isn’t tied to technical knowledge—it’s in how you think, communicate, and lead.

In hospitality, I learned how to read people fast. How to remain calm when everything was going sideways. How to make guests feel like they were the most important person in the room. Now, in insurance, I use those same skills every day—when talking to clients, managing office operations, and navigating complex logistics with a clear head.

The subject matter changed. The core competencies didn’t.

What Transferable Skills Really Look Like

Let’s break it down:

• Communication: If you’ve worked with customers, clients, or vendors, you’ve learned how to communicate clearly, manage expectations, and resolve conflict.

• Project management: Planning events, running service operations, coordinating vendors—all of that maps to managing workflows and timelines in any industry.

• Leadership: Leading teams, hiring, training, and motivating people? Those skills are desperately needed in every workplace.

• Problem-solving under pressure: If you’ve worked in fast-paced environments, you already know how to think on your feet. That’s not just relevant—it’s rare.

• Adaptability: Changing gears mid-shift, dealing with last-minute requests, keeping your cool through chaos—that’s not just a hospitality skill. That’s a survival skill in any role.

So Why Don’t More People Make the Leap?

Because we’re taught to undervalue what we’ve done.

We’re told our resumes need to align perfectly with a job posting. That experience only counts if it was done in the same industry, with the same title, using the same tools. And honestly? That’s outdated thinking.

Hiring managers aren’t just looking for carbon copies. They’re looking for people who can learn quickly, lead thoughtfully, and bring new perspective to the table.

If that’s you, then you’re more qualified than you think.

Final Thought

You’re not starting over when you change careers. You’re building on everything you’ve done—with a new focus, in a new context. Don’t sell yourself short just because the job title is unfamiliar. Look at your career like a portfolio, not a timeline.

Because in the end, it’s not about where you’ve been.It’s about what you’ve learned—and how you carry that forward.