Reading another Avaturian's story about his journey, skills, and passions reminded me of something that I have wanted to write about for a long time; a story about transferable skills. As I started thinking about it, it became clear that there were more interconnected concepts. A graph of concepts. So this is my attempt to connect them while talking about different stages of my life.
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It’s 2007. I'm walking to meet my uncle. He’s having lunch with me to help me improve my CV for a job interview. It's summer in Buenos Aires, and the sun is glaring down. I’m in the middle of my college journey, trying to transition from electronics into software.
I step into the cool, air-conditioned (thank you!) interior of the diner. The smell of coffee and food is comforting. There he is, my uncle, sitting in a booth near the window. He waves me over with a reassuring smile.
I sit down, and after a moment of small talk, I spread out my CV draft on the table. My academic achievements (not that many, to be honest) are laid out, but the work experience section is the challenge. I’ve never written a line of code at work.
He glances at the CV, then looks up. “Why are you so worried?” he asks.
“I don’t have any real experience in software,” I blurt out. “What can I possibly offer?”
He leans back with a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “Well, aren’t you a diver?”
I blink, taken aback. He was actually the one who encouraged me to start diving a few years ago. “Yes, but what can I do with that?”
“In diving, there are a lot of situations where you need to deal with stress while staying calm, be attentive to others, and get unspoken cues. And of course, dedicate a lot of time to perfect your skills. That shows responsibility and a strong learning ability.”
He continues, “And what about playing the saxophone? You’ve been doing that for years, right?”
“Yes,” I say, still puzzled, “but how is that relevant?”
He leans forward and says, “Playing the saxophone requires you to be a team player when you’re in an ensemble. You need to listen, adapt, and sometimes improvise. Those are valuable skills. Plus, the dedication it takes to learn and master an instrument shows perseverance and a commitment to personal growth.”
As his words sink in, a light bulb goes on in my head. My hobbies aren’t just hobbies. They are proof of my ability to learn, adapt, and work well with others. That was the first time I understood the concept of transferable skills.
I revised my CV, highlighting these skills and the experiences that shaped them. When I walked into my interview, I felt newfound confidence. I wasn’t just a student with no experience; I was a responsible diver and a dedicated musician with a unique set of transferable skills.
*
I don’t remember exactly how I started running. Most likely, it was because I loved my first-gen iPod mini. And Nike had announced a sensor that worked in conjunction with it: placed inside a Nike shoe, it tracked running statistics, such as distance and pace, allowing you to monitor your running progress and set fitness goals.
“It’s incredible,” I said. “I absolutely need it!”
My little brother giggled. “But you don’t run. Why do you want one?”
“Well, if I had it, I would!” I responded.
I haven’t stopped since. I love running. My brother and I have done many 10K races together since that conversation (although I am the only one tracking data!) But it was only three years ago that I decided to step it up. I aimed to run my best 10K that year, followed by a half marathon the next year, and a marathon the year after that. A three-year plan.
Training for a half marathon seemed almost impossible at first. It was twice what I was used to. A marathon? Yeah, I didn’t want to become the next Pheidippides. However, the training process taught me to break down this massive goal into manageable parts. Each week, I increased my mileage gradually, building both physical and mental endurance. There were days when the training was tough, and I questioned my ability to complete the marathon, but pushing through those doubts strengthened my resilience.
In today’s world, the idea of committing to long-term goals can seem daunting. We want everything instantly: movies, food, music, shopping. People are forgetting what it means to wait for something. However, the journey of pursuing long-term goals can be incredibly rewarding, offering invaluable lessons about perseverance, discipline, and personal growth.
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My physics teacher in high school was known for creating unpredictable exams. They were never about applying formulas. Several friends (not me, of course) tried numerous ways to get hold of the exam a day or even hours before it, in an effort to be ready. They never could. “Don’t memorize. Life won’t give you formulas; it will give you problems. Learn to think,” he said.
I remember vividly sitting in class, nervously awaiting the return of our thermodynamics exam results. As he handed me back the exam, he paused. “You did well,” he said, “Have you considered the physics olympic games? They are more or less like my exams. Only longer and harder.” He wasn’t kidding. I didn’t get that far, but I didn’t massively fail either. During my last years of high school, I ended up going to several competitions in different subjects. He had initiated a chain reaction: if I could handle a difficult exam, maybe I could handle a tougher one.
Each competition presented unique problems that required us to think beyond the standard curriculum. We had to integrate knowledge from various fields, apply logical reasoning, and often come up with entirely new approaches to solve the challenges presented. I remember one that I particularly liked: solving a math problem where the solution needed to be a fiction short story. A fusion of creativity and logic.
Unfortunately, some education systems today often seem to lower the bar, making learning more straightforward and less challenging. The focus shifts towards memorization and standardized testing, which do not nurture the critical skill of logical thinking. Problems are nothing like the ones found in textbooks.
*
Reflecting on these experiences, I found it fascinating to connect the dots between hobbies, sports, and highschool exams. Each of these moments offered insights and durable skills to extract.
Some of these anecdotes happened 17 years ago. But now everyone is talking about skills. How to learn them, track them, match them. Today, we recognize the importance of transferable skills more than ever. Communication, learning ability, problem-solving, adaptability, teamwork, creativity; sometimes we prioritize these skills over actual experience or specific knowledge.
There are studies suggesting that long-term training, such as marathon preparation, and sustained learning activities, like learning an instrument, improve various cognitive functions and increase neural plasticity. The pursuit of long-term goals is more than just a personal achievement. It is a powerful way of nurturing invaluable skills essential for both personal and professional growth, and it turns out it truly changes us.
The skills we develop in different areas of our lives are interconnected and can be applied across various domains. Whether it’s diving, playing an instrument, or any other passion, the abilities we cultivate are significant and can make us more versatile and capable individuals. They change us and make us think and behave differently.
And perhaps this is why we are where we are today: a group of creative people, working by connecting ideas in novel ways to do things differently. Dealing with uncertainty and unplanned scenarios has become second nature. And I’m lucky to have a team that has collected the same skills I found (and many more!) in my journey.
Who knows which hobby or experience will foster a new skill in the future?