Saying yes to trade school is a commitment that can help you achieve your goals—from learning new skills with your hands to building confidence in your abilities and interests. As you focus on taking your goals to the next level, consider the skills you’ve gained from school, sports, part-time jobs and the military. Think about your next educational step, and remember: You may already have transferable skills for trade school.
Here are 3 areas that can help you move forward and learn new technical skills.
Have you played a team sport such as basketball, soccer or football? Or maybe you enjoy individual sports like boxing and mixed martial arts? Sports may not initially come to mind if you’re considering your talents—especially if you play for fun in your free time. However, sports can be a valuable way to gain skills for school, work and beyond.
Individuals who play sports learn to prioritize their time efficiently. Athletes learn time management skills by balancing practice and game days with personal commitments like school and jobs. At trade school, this skill can help you manage to-do lists, study and complete tasks in the shop. Plus, sports also teach athletes to work as a team and overcome obstacles.
In trade school, teamwork can help you make connections with peers and network with instructors who will mentor you throughout your trade program. A student who is a strong team player collaborates well with others in real-world scenarios, such as learning to wire an electrical circuit for a technical school project or working on an HVAC unit with other students.
If you have a military background, you’re accustomed to upholding commitments. You’ve stood up for your country, and when it comes time to fulfill commitments to yourself and your future, you’re well-equipped to move forward. At trade school, your sense of dedication is considered a military transferable skill—and it can help you choose a technical program, submit the application and complete coursework.
Members of the military are also effective leaders who know how to follow rules as well as enforce them. Strong leaders are fair managers and creative thinkers. In the military, a leader is someone who takes on responsibilities while helping others do their best. In trade school, such qualities help you ask tough questions in the classroom and get hands-on technical experience in the shop.
Many customer service support personnel are active listeners, problem solvers and clear communicators. Whether you’ve been a cashier, retail manager, call center associate, food service employee or something in between, your experience in customer service has likely provided valuable communication skills that can take you far in trade school.
When you take these skills into the classroom or shop, you set yourself up for success. Communication skills help you ask the right questions when you need to know more from instructors. Other customer service skills—such as patience, work ethic and positivity—can also keep you on track. With work ethic and a positive attitude at trade school, you’ll take time to think through and solve problems, and get one step closer to accomplishing your goals.
Interested in transferring your skills into a trade? Browse our programs to learn what Apex offers. Schedule a tour of Apex Technical School today.
*Apex Technical School and its instructors are licensed by the State of New York, New York State Education Department.
Disclaimer: Apex Technical School provides training for entry-level jobs. Not everything you may read about the industry is covered in our training programs.
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