Market Your Transferable Skill Sets

for Architects and Designers

In super competitive labor markets, it behooves the candidate to identify, package and market ALL of their
available skills sets and talents to maximize their employability. If you are struggling to “re-brand” yourself, it is
time to assess the skill sets that you excel at, and present those in a measurable way. Highlighting your
transferable skill sets – and especially accomplishments – is one of the most important things you can do on
your cover letter, your resume and in an interview. Here are few directions you can explore:

Experience and Skills that Transfer

Adjacent experience: web design, website building, graphic design, marketing, digital art and production, 3D
modeling, photography, video production, furniture, product industrial design, writing, creating music,
landscaping, engineering – MEP and software, welding, electrical or plumbing, building and construction trades;
urban planning, sustainable practices and LEED, energy auditing, structural or civil engineering, environmental
sciences.

Communications: proficiency in writing, speaking, public speaking, delivering speeches, lectures, participating
in seminars, roundtables; presentations, and negotiations, writing for websites, blogging, Podcasting, social
media, other languages spoken and written. Published papers, articles, research and opinions.

Human Resources: managing, training and supervising employees, interviewing, hiring and reviewing
employees, workforce management, budgeting and staffing; teaching and mentoring, motivating, counseling,
conflict resolution, recruiting, college and community outreach.

Management: building and leading international and local teams, relationship building with clients, vendors and
sub-contractors, business development, networking, sales, and marketing; strategic planning, budgeting and
accounting, project staffing, decision making, business operations and functions, capitalization and fundraising,
conceptual thinking, multi-project management, creative problem solving, innovative idea creation, sustainable
and design thinking and planning; liaison to stakeholders, community, and government agencies; integrated
project and lean delivery, multi-disciplinary project management; client services, retention and representation.

Digital: 3D SM, Dreamweaver, Maya, Rhino, Illustrator, Adobe, Quark, In Design, Photoshop BIM, Revit, Sketch-
up, Microsoft Office Suite, PeopleSoft, integrated project and proprietary database management; SEO, blogging,
email marketing and customer relationship management.

Adjacent Opportunities

Website design, web building, graphic design, rendering and modeling, computer aided drafting, industrial and
product design, fashion and clothing design, construction trades and remodeling, business operations, sales and
business management in solar, green and energy technology, interactive/digital designer, online marketing,
gaming design, retail branding and merchandising, global business consultant, emerging technologies, business
development and sales, teaching and training, and private tutor. Government contracting and procurement.

Relevant job boards: Creativehotlist.com, talentzoo.com, coroflot.com, renderosity.com, behance.net,

creativeshake.com, http://www.aecjobbank.com, www.archinect.com/jobs, http://www.e-architect.com/career,
careercenter.aia.org, http://www.managercrossing.com, http://jobs.37signals.com,
http://jobs.businessinsider.com, http://jobs.greenbiz.com, http://www.pmiwdc.org/jobs

Final Thoughts
Although you are primarily a designer or Architect, in the course of your career you have done many tasks that
are more office or business operations oriented. Now is the time to be sure that those skills and talents shine on
your resume alongside your design accomplishments. Emphasize business development, marketing and client
services; networking, social media and other experience that is relative to today's new world.

About the Author: Kristi Enigl (www.kristienigl.com) is a career consultant with an background recruiting and
hiring specializing in the creative professions. She leads career workshops in personal branding, social media
and networking and coaches clients worldwide. Kristi is an expert resume writer and blogs at
http://coachkristi.blogspot.com. For a complimentary consultation, email her coachkristi@kristienigl.com.