Transfer Student Professional Branding

Transfer students at Roger Williams are an integral and vibrant part of the Roger Williams student population. They bring a wealth of experiences, backgrounds, and diversity to campus and overall enhance the University for all students, faculty, and staff.

As a transfer student, you obtain skills such as adaptability, time management, decision-making, communication, and strategic and analytical skillsets that are directly transferrable to an employer. Transferring schools’ mid-degree is a difficult process, but shows employers that you are motivated, not afraid of hard work, can continually set goals to defy standards, and are committed to your future goals and aspirations. Transfer students encompass a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and interpersonal skills, that are valuable to employers. As transfer students, it is important to identify and define your skills and experience from both institutions, below are some common characteristics that transfer students hold and how to market them to employers.

For additional assistance and resources visit our resume guide or cover letter guide.

• How do I market myself as a transfer student on my resume?
  

  Education Section	As a transfer student, you will have two schools to list. Put the school you are currently enrolled in at the top, and your previous school underneath. It is essential to include details of your previous school such as location, major, GPA, honors, Dean’s List & additional academic awards.
  Relevant Coursework Section	At the bottom of your education section, be sure to include a Relevant coursework section and list classes from your previous institution that are relevant to your current major, employment, or in similar fields of future employment. A Relevant Coursework section is a great opportunity to show employers the courses directly related to the positions you are applying for and the applicable knowledge you gained from your previous institution.
  Campus Experience & Leadership Opportunities	As a transfer student, you bring a variety of experiences to the table that should be accredited. If you participated in athletics, joined a club or organization, or took part in campus community initiatives such as Greek life, or an LLC, all experiences are notable and should be included in your professional documents, regardless of what school you participated at!

• What traits do transfer students hold that are marketable to employers?

  Versatility & Adaptability	Transfer students have the inept ability to adjust and adapt to a variety of factors when transitioning to an institution such as class size, location, social environment, campus activities, and academic work.
  Strategy & Analytical Thinking	Transfer students show strengths in self-discovery processes, strategizing, and goal setting. Employers would like to know the process of analyzing your college experience, when you discovered you needed a change, for example, you wanted to change majors that were not offered at your initial institution, and the steps of actions you took to successfully transfer.
  Solution-Oriented	To transfer schools is a very conflicting situation, and transfer students have the inept ability to assess a situation and create an action plan to change. When transferring from a school, whether it would be because of financial concerns, family, or academic reasons, transfer students show true dedication to improving their educational journey.
  Work Ethic	Transfer students that take the initiative to change their original major transfer schools to find a program or institution that will help them be successful in their future endeavors. Thus, by changing the course of your academic journey to pursue an institution or program shows a strong work ethic, initiative, and intuition.
  Growth-Oriented	Students who have transferred schools seek to learn through experiential opportunities that allow them to explore their field in more depth, establish skillsets, and grow through the ultimate campus experience. This experiential learning approach to education shows that transfer students take initiative, are committed to growth, and welcome learning opportunities.