The engineering job market today is complicated. The rise of artificial intelligence and automation might be leading to new opportunities in some sectors, but it’s also causing widespread job displacement, and initiating wide-scale layoffs and job freezes in others. In fact, some experts now believe we’re in the midst of a “white collar recession”, where countless previously crucial jobs are disappearing.
At the same time, the responsibilities in roles are changing, prompting companies to redefine which skills they prioritise. At a time when around 40% of the skills employers are looking for today could become obsolete by 2030, it might not be your degree or a specific technical skill that lands you the perfect role – but the resilient, transferable skills that preserve your value.
Transferable skills could be the future-proofing solution you need to maintain career resilience in an unpredictable world. So, how do you make the most of them?
Understanding Today’s Job Market Challenges
The current engineering job market is undoubtedly tricky. The number of active job seekers is growing, but the number of available roles is shrinking. The rise of the “white collar recession” means that many roles previously considered untouchable by things like AI and automation – such as those in technology, finance, and creative roles are disappearing.
The roles not completely eradicated by AI are changing too. Companies are increasingly looking for employees that can work effectively alongside AI, but 62% of candidates say they don’t have the skills to safely and effectively use intelligent tools.
Many companies are also struggling to identify what kind of skills will really matter in the years ahead, as technology continues to evolve. Many are reluctant to prioritise “trending” skills that might fail to deliver results in the long-term.
All of this is happening against a backdrop of fierce competition. With more applicants per role than ever before, employers are raising the bar and rethinking their strategies. They’re not just looking for qualifications or degrees – but demonstratable, adaptable skills that translate across job roles and functions. It’s not just about what you’ve done, but how you can contribute moving forward.
The Power of Transferable Skills
Now that engineering job titles, technologies, and industries are evolving at speed, transferable “resilient” skills are becoming more valuable. Transferable skills are the skills applicable to virtually any business setting. Think soft skills like problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, digital literacy, project management, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.
All of those skills can help you excel in virtually any role. Some technical skills, like the ability to analyse data, and work alongside innovative tools, are “transferable ” too.
What makes these skills so powerful in 2025 is their versatility. Think of it this way, nearly 55% of the roles on LinkedIn’s “Jobs on the Rise” list in 2024 didn’t exist 25 years ago. Positions in the engineering space are clearly evolving, and the ability to adapt is more valuable than any single qualification.
In fact, employers are increasingly shifting towards skills-based hiring, which is now five times more predictive of job performance than traditional degree requirements
Companies want to know what you can do in any situation – how you can pivot to address new demands and requirements – not just what you’ve accomplished before. That’s why transferable skills deliver exceptional career resilience. When roles are changed or automated, these skills help you to pivot, moving across sectors, and even stepping into new fields.
They also help uncover opportunities you may not have considered. By focusing on your capabilities rather than your title, you expand your career possibilities.
Identifying Your Transferable Skills Portfolio
Knowing that transferable skills are essential in today’s job market is one thing – knowing which ones you have, which ones you need to develop, and how you can highlight your skill portfolio is something else entirely. The easiest way to start is with a self-assessment.
Examine your abilities, and categorise them into three areas:
- Interpersonal skills: Such as include communication, leadership, collaboration, empathy, and conflict resolution. These skills vital across roles, especially as hybrid work models demand stronger soft skills to manage remote teams and clients.
Analytical & cognitive skills: Think problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, decision-making, and data literacy. These are particularly valuable in a world where AI handles routine tasks, but humans are still needed to interpret, question, and innovate.
- Functional & digital skills: These are the practical abilities you’ve developed through experience: project management, budgeting, using CRM systems, technical writing, content creation, or using platforms like Excel, Salesforce, or Notion. Many of these are sector-agnostic, which makes them more portable between roles.
As you assess your engineering transferable skills, ask yourself what kind of tasks you’re constantly praised for, what kind of systems and solutions you use more than most, and what capabilities you have that help you adapt to change.
Once you’ve identified your transferable skills portfolio, prioritise the ones that align with market needs. For instance, most employers today are focusing on adaptability, digital literacy, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.
Developing Critical Transferable Skills
Once you’ve identified your most valuable transferable skills, and the skills engineering employers are hunting for, it’s time to build your personal development plan. In other words, figure out which existing skills you’re going to strengthen, and which new ones you need to develop.
Start by selecting skills that sit in the overlap between your career goals and employer demand. For example, if you’re aiming to pivot into a tech-adjacent role, strengthening digital literacy, analytical thinking, or project management may be useful.
Next, plan your learning pathway. Remember, you don’t necessarily need a degree to stand out here. There are plenty of formal and informal learning pathways to explore. You might take a part-time course or accredited program, or invest in online classes.
You could consider micro-credentials, hands-on workshops, or bootcamps (particularly for technical skills). Plus, actually exposing yourself to situations where you can learn skills in a hands-on environment (side projects, volunteering, or freelancing), can help you learn faster.
Crucially, development doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch. It means stacking your existing skills with new competencies in ways that increase your agility. For example, pairing marketing experience with basic data analytics opens doors to roles in customer insights or digital strategy.
To stay future-ready, check on your engineering skill portfolio every three-to-six months to reflect on what you’ve gained, and what you need to do next.
Marketing Your Transferable Skills
Developing and fine-tuning your transferable skills is just the first step – you also need to learn how to showcase them to employers. According to one report, around 70% employers want candidates to be more effective at articulating their transferable skills.
Start by updating your CV/resume and LinkedIn profile to reflect your transferable skills. Focus not just on what you’ve accomplished in the past, but how you’ve added value to your skillset. Use impact-driven language: instead of “responsible for managing schedules,” try “coordinated complex schedules across departments, improving workflow efficiency by 30%.”
Tailor your experience to mirror the language of your target roles. This helps applicant tracking systems (ATS) recognise your relevance – even if you’re changing sectors. For LinkedIn, highlight your transferable strengths in the headline and ‘About’ section, using keywords aligned with your target field. Share relevant content, projects, or courses you’ve completed to show continuous development. Engineering recruiters are increasingly searching by skills, not just titles.
When preparing for interviews, practise storytelling. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to frame how your transferable skills solved real problems. For example, explain how your background in client service enabled you to build strong stakeholder relationships in a tech-adjacent project – even if you weren’t in a traditional tech role.
You can also boost the impact of your personal brand, by creating a simple portfolio (such as a personal website or a well-structured Google Drive) to show your skills in action. Even building your network, connecting with specialists from across your industry, can help strengthen your brand, and make you more appealing to employers.
Staying Agile with Transferable Skills
Today’s engineering job market might be uncertain – but your future doesn’t have to be. As industries and roles continue to evolve, transferable skills are your foundation for resilience and long-term success. They help you to maintain your value, and unlock new opportunities you may never have considered before, giving you more avenues for growth.
Now is the time to take action. Start with your personal “transferable skills audit”, then build a strategic development plan that aligns with market demands, and your own professional goals. Update your personal brand, and your job application resources, and make sure you’re prioritising constant growth and development.
Remember, the future belongs to candidates that can adapt, learn, and thrive in periods of change. Strengthen your transferable skills, and you’ll be ready for anything.
All the best
Steve
At Coalesce we have been supporting engineering candidates for over 28 years; if you would like our support on ways to leverage your transferable skills, then give us a call on 07512 821708 or email us here.