Transferable Skills Letter

Dear Center for Change,

Six years ago, I was a resident at the Center for Change. I strongly value your treatment center’s philosophy and the care you provide. I am familiar with how your facility operates and the mission of your service, and believe I can be a valuable asset to the Center’s team.

In my past work experience, I was fortunate to have gained many priceless skills assisting women with various behavioral and psychological disorders. I have become equipped with skills such as managing conflict, providing support for others, assisting in patient goal-setting, working with a care team, and being sensitive to the needs of those I am serving. The job was challenging, as each day was unpredictable and presented new situations. I enjoyed listening, supporting, and guiding the women through their daily experiences and challenges. The position kept me on my feet, always looking for ways to solve solutions, improve lives, be proactive, and exercise patience and understanding.

Above all, my past experiences have taught me that improvement is absolutely possible for those who are deeply entrenched in behavioral and psychological disorders, if the proper amount of support and unconditional care is provided. I am confident that I can be a valuable member of your team, and play a positive role in the resident’s lives at the Center for Change.

Thank you for your consideration.

Erin Robinson

Skills Assessment

Skills I enjoy:

• Writing
• Listening
• Advising/Counseling

Skills I perform well:

• Writing
• Listening
• Observing

Skills I would like to develop:

• Effective Problem-solving
• Assertiveness
• Mediating
• Persuasion
• Teaching
• Confidence
• Verbal Communication
• Teamwork

These skills can be applied and practiced in my home and other everyday encounters. Here are some specific ways I can develop them:

• Assess the root cause of issues that arise in relationships, equally discuss issue and possible solutions, compromise or come to agreement on solution.
• Volunteer my opinion, feelings, and ideas when they are different from others. This requires knowing what I feel, think, and want.
• Give eye-contact when speaking to others.
• Ask for help when I need it.
• When observing a conflict, I will practice keeping a neutral view, and remain fair.
• I will try to demonstrate confidence when I speak, so I may be more persuasive.
• I will actively seek out opportune moments to teach others about something I may know. (My son, my husband, or other adults).
• I will talk more at the dinner table with my family instead of sitting in front of the TV. I will discuss my day, etc.
• Address and communicate issues, worries, etc. in my relationships when they arise, rather than letting them slide by.
• I will engage myself in group activities when they arise. I will join in at family functions instead of sitting off to the side and observing.
• I will try things I’ve always hesitated to try before.
• I will master a task that I have failed at before, and gain more confidence (example: some nasty failed recipes!).

Possible careers these skills lead to:

• School Psychologist
• Substance Abuse & Behavioral Disorder Counselor
• Marriage & Family Therapist
• Social Worker
• Mental Health Counselor
• Clinical Psychologist
• Counseling Psychologist
• Psychology Teacher

Top 10 Personal Values

1. FAMILY ~ It is my family that helped me grow into who I am today. My family taught me how to be a good person - to place value on more than the vain things of this world. My family makes sacrifices for me. Their love is unconditional. My family is my support and motivation. My family is unselfish. I place value on my family because this is where it all begins. Those who know me will benefit because of the values my family taught me. I cannot choose a career that does not respect the priority I place on my family. I need to be available to them. This will never change.


2. GRATITUDE ~ I constantly strive to recognize how I am blessed. Knowing there is someone else who is less fortunate in some given way helps me to see things from an alternate perspective. This dual perspective helps me to treat others and things with great respect. I want a career helping others to see the good in life. This too will never change.

3. KINDNESS/CONCERN FOR OTHERS ~ This is honestly the simplest way to success. It requires humility, gratitude, openness, and selflessness. No one enjoys a selfish, rude, or uncaring person. When you seek to help others and forget yourself, the world runs smoother. I value happy environments. I enjoy inner-peace. I enjoy being liked and cared for. None of these are possible without kindness/concern for others. The career I want will give me the opportunity to care for others and to help them pay it forward.

4. HUMILITY ~ Everyday I learn something new. I try to stay humble so that I can be teachable. If I think I am above all, then I immediately close the door to gaining more knowledge, perspectives, and opportunities. It is so important to stay grounded. I value humility in a career because I want to learn. I want to work with others who also want to learn. It is important that this remains a top value of mine whether I am jobless or making more money than I need.

5. MEANING ~ When I do not understand why I behave the way I do, why things happen in my life, or what my purpose is, I am utterly lost. There are a lot of lost people in this world. They have not created meaning in their lives and circumstances. Doing so has helped me in innumerable ways. My career must be centered on finding purpose and meaning. I want to help others find meaning in their lives.

6. ATTITUDE ~ Yep, it’s just about everything and more. The greatest discovery about attitude is that we can choose it! We have total control of our attitude. This simple knowledge has granted me many blessings! I respect those who can keep a pleasant attitude despite unfavorable circumstances. This is challenging. This is important for me to remember in the working world where often a feeling of being acted upon takes place. Despite what comes, I may maintain inner-peace. This is an everlasting value.

7. ACCEPTANCE ~ We want so much to be accepted, liked, loved, wanted. A lot of what we do is to gain acceptance, whether we know it outright or not. I have always strived for acceptance and approval. I recognize the need for balance with this. I have spent a good deal of my life striving for acceptance from the wrong people, or by doing the wrong things. I dream of helping others accept themselves, and feel loved without having to change who they are or compromise their safety or values.

8. PEACE ~ I hate confrontation. Unnecessary confrontation. I recognize there is value to some conflict, but I try to avoid it when possible. I strive to create and maintain peace in my life. This is my motivation for nearly everything. I do what I can to create inner-peace for myself. I do what I can to maintain peace in my family relationships. I try my best to be peaceable in society. I want to help others find inner-peace, and peace in their relationships and lives. Without inner-peace, we are unbalanced in every other aspect of life.

9. SIMPLICITY ~ The world is too fast-paced, loud, and complicated today. I value keeping things as simple as possible. I enjoy taking one step at a time. Eliminating unnecessary drama and stress must be done in order to focus on the truly important things in life. I must constantly remind myself of this. We tend to complicate our lives way more than we need to. I want to teach this to others.

10. HUMOR ~ This makes everything better. Well, almost. The wonderful thing about humor is that it is universal. Who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh? When there is an easy-going environment around me, it is easy to cut loose and laugh. Laughter helps ease the sting of an error. It helps to pick up a droopy mood. It helps create an open environment. It relaxes the body! I am sensitive and could easily cry over spilled milk right this instant. I need humor to function. I need it to keep myself in balance. I can’t cry a river every time something unfortunate happens. Life can get too serious too quick sometimes. I value a career environment where humor is openly accepted and shared. Where would I be without it? Drowning in my own cry-baby tears!