What Are The Most Useful Transferable Skills As An Artist?

Career/Development

What Are The Most Useful Transferable Skills As An Artist?

7 Transferable Skills That Artists Develop And Practical Ways To Promote Them

It’s common for artists to have side-hustles or part-time jobs alongside their art practice, to help provide financial stability or to gain varied experience. Whether you are looking for a job in the creative sector or a change of career completely, the skills you have as an artist are highly transferable and sought-after.

What is a transferable skill?

A skill is considered “transferable” when it can be used in a wide variety of jobs and contexts. In your journey as an artist you will have developed lots of different transferable skills along the way (maybe without even realising). These skills can then be utilised in a different context, outside of the art world.

This article provides 7 examples of the useful transferable skills you develop as an artist and suggests practical ideas about how you can show these skills off when applying for jobs.

1. Creativity

It may seem obvious, but creativity is one of the most essential transferable skills that artists develop. Each artwork you produce and the way you present it in a portfolio is a perfect demonstration of your individual creative flare. Your creativity as an artist makes you stand out from the crowd because it makes you look at things with a unique perspective.

A creative mindset helps you to have imaginative ideas, make interesting connections between things, and challenge the way things are normally done. This is useful for employers who want to gain fresh insight on how things can be improved in their organisation or company.

2. Problem-Solving

The ability to solve problems effectively is required in all forms of employment. Just like with creativity; artists are good at solving problems in innovative ways, an advantage over those who are not artists. They are also resourceful problem solvers, well-versed in thinking through different issues as they make and exhibit their artwork. For example, having to adapt to different exhibition spaces, finding funding for projects and having to diversify their income.

The ability to think on your feet when problems arise is a very attractive attribute to employers. When applying for jobs, think of specific times where you have creatively solved a problem and the end result of such experience.

3. Communication

Another key transferable skill that artists develop is communication. Working as an artist often involves collaborating with other creatives by organising exhibitions, workshops or events. These joint projects demonstrate your interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team.

You develop both verbal and written communication skills when talking to people about your artwork, as well as writing things like artist statements. Good communication skills are essential for almost any job – so make sure to explain how you’ve developed yours as an artist.

It’s also a good idea to consider how you utilise visual communication skills. As an artist – you are consistently communicating with your audience through the pieces themselves, but this is just the start. You also develop visual communication skills when putting together a portfolio, creating social media content or an artist website.

The ability to make things visibly appealing and clear to a wide range of viewers is something that most employers will look for, especially jobs in the creative industry. Being able to consider and understand how an audience will engage with something is an extremely useful skill.

4. Time Management

Artists often have to work to strict deadlines for exhibitions, open calls and funding applications. You may be working on multiple projects at once, alongside other commitments like a part-time job or caring for children. This requires you to be organised and efficient, breaking down large tasks into smaller manageable chunks. Being able to manage your priorities and plan your time effectively are essential transferable skills. Employers often expect you to be able to work on multiple different tasks at once and prioritise in order to meet different deadlines.

What are some of the techniques you use to help manage your time? This may be something you are asked in an interview. Make sure you can demonstrate specific examples of when you’ve successfully done so, so employers can understand how you’d put your transferable skills into practice.

5. Self-Motivation

Being an artist often involves creating your own opportunities as well as seeking existing ones. Leading your own independent projects requires drive, determination and confidence. If you spend a lot of time working freelance, you need to motivate yourself to get the work done on time and to a high standard.

Self-motivation is definitely a good example of a transferable skill, because employers in most sectors like to know that you can think independently and don’t need constant supervision. Although, this independence should be balanced with the ability to work collaboratively as well, and ask questions when you need to.

6. Attention to Detail

Artists often require meticulous focus and dedication to create something they are proud of. For example, a painter can spend hours perfecting the details of a masterpiece, developing exceptional observational skills and attention to detail. This need for attention to detail is even more apparent when you focus on commissioned artwork, as the artist needs to meet the expectations of the client as well as their own.

Beyond the making of artwork, an artist will also spend time filling in paperwork such for funding applications, invoices and agreements. This is another way you can demonstrate high attention to detail.

In terms of potential employers; this transferable skill is crucial as it helps you to spot mistakes and dedicate your time to producing the best quality work – whether it be artistically related or not.

7. Research

Research is often a big part of artistic practice and takes many different forms. Artists can research different practical techniques or a particular subject that they want to make artwork about. If you have studied art at university, you may have had to do research around art theory or art history as well.

Having the patience to go through lots of information and be able to pick out the most relevant points is useful in lots of other jobs. Research also helps you to think critically and consider things from other people’s perspectives. If you can research something in depth, it shows you have a lot of passion, with a keen desire to learn and evolve. This is something employers will be looking for if you’re going for a role that is fairly new to you.

How can you promote the transferable skills you develop as an artist?

On Your CV

Your CV is the main place you’re going to want to list your skills.

CVs are often viewed extremely quickly by recruiters, so ensure the information is clear and that they can easily find your relevant work experience. Bold headings and bullet points are useful to make the most important information stand out.

Make sure to highlight the specialist skills developed through your particular type of artistic practice. For example, as an illustrator or graphic designer you may have developed skills in particular digital software such as Adobe. Digital skills are transferable to all kinds of job roles, so make sure you add these to your CV.

You can still have a comprehensive and impressive CV without experience. It all comes down to how you market your transferable skills as an artist.

In Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter is your chance to really sell your skills, show off relevant experience and make the case for why you are perfect for the specific role. The transferable skills you have developed as an artist should help you to stand out from other applicants.

Employers will normally list the required and/or desirable skills in the job description for the role. You should refer to these specific skills within your cover letter, giving examples of work experience that helped you develop them.

A handy tip is to have a cover letter template, that you can edit and personalise for each different application. The main thing to remember is that you need to be specific – and provide evidence for each transferable skill that you list.

At Interview

If you have a job interview, make sure you prepare examples that demonstrate each transferable skill you have. For example, an interviewer may ask: “Can you tell us about a time you have shown excellent attention to detail?” The STAR method is useful to plan your answers to interview questions, demonstrating how your transferable skills have been developed through practical experience.

Make sure to research the company or organisation you have applied to work for prior to your interview. Think about how your transferable skills could fit in with their aims and purpose.

In Conclusion

Going into a new career with little to no similar experience can be very daunting. Sometimes, it can feel like we have no chance, especially if we have had an unconventional career path. Luckily, this is not the case.

Many skills of an artist are easily transferable to lots of other job roles, both in the art world and completely outside of it. Whether you are looking for a part-time job to supplement your income alongside your artwork, or you want to try out a different full-time career – remember to highlight these transferable skills in your application. It is important to connect these skills with specific examples in your art practice or other experience.

It can be hard to recognise positive attributes about ourselves and be confident in our abilities, but you should be proud of the diverse skills you have worked hard to gain, whether as an artist or not.

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What Are The Most Useful Transferable Skills As An Artist?