10/06/2026
I want to talk about social mobility, transferable skills, and marginalised backgrounds.
Working in ESG, there's a lot of conversation around "transferable skills". They impact social mobility in a huge way, but it's not something that we're really taught to be aware of.
Social Mobility = the ability to move up and down the social and economical ladder (i.e, "make a better life for yourself").
Transferable Skills = foundational abilities and knowledge that you can use across a range of situations, roles, and industries.
I'm gonna put this into practise, using a real life example (albeit in a bit of a Clauds way).
Imagine a drug dealer. We'll call them Charlie.
It's not the kinda job you'd typically put on your CV, but businesses are missing out by not harnessing the transferable skills.
Charlie makes their start selling street level w**d. They get a reputation as someone reliable, who sells decent stuff that isn't over-priced. Even better, they deliver!
At this point, Charlie is learning essential foundational skills: managing suppliers, customer service and lifecycle, public relations, marketing, branding.
Done well, this grows the business. Charlie decides that they want to branch out into other... products. They use some of their profits to buy harder drugs.
Now, Charlie's not an idiot. They've realised that it makes good business sense to be the best. By not cutting the product with crappy fillers, and by making it an easy, accessible service for the customer, they're building loyalty. I mean, they are breaking the law. Customer trust and loyalty should be a core business goal 👀
Within the first year of business, Charlie becomes a local king pin. Not only that, but the bobby's haven't even got a whiff of the operation.
By this point, Charlie is using solid business skills: risk management and mitigation, finances, planning and growth...
Charlie's doing well for themself. They have plenty of money coming in, and they're surrounded by friends and people they know. They have a great reputation amongst their network, and are treated with a respect they feel is earnt.
Now, say one day Charlie gets arrested. They get sentenced and serve time. When they get out, they actually want to give it a go all legit. Leave crime and drugs behind them.
What do they do?
Businesses won't hire them because of their conviction. They're instantly dismissed as untrustworthy, a risk, not worth the shot.
That's not even considering the nuance of the life experiences of an ex-drug dealer.
If we, as a society, want ex-offenders - or, frankly, any member of society that you deem as "undesirable" - to live a meaningful, legit, above-board life, we have to give them a fair shot.
Unless we tackle the systemic inequalities at play, and help our more vulnerable people understand what opportunities are out there, we're writing people off before they've even had a fair crack.
Obviously this is a more extreme example, but it's not "out there". It happens. There are some fantastic organisations and charities set up to help bridge the gap for minority backgrounds, but it's applicable to us all.
Do you have a hobby? Okay, have a look at what skills you use. Do you have to stick to a routine or manage your time appropriately? Are you part of a social group that operates largely in unspoken heirarchies (cough *equestrians* cough)? Perhaps you volunteer somewhere.
Lean in to your strengths, and use your every day activities to develop your weaker areas. These are all perfectly valid examples of ways to demonstrate your skills. This can be essential for anyone starting out, or who wants to do a career switch but doesn't know where to start.
Each of us contribute something to the world. Everybody has a purpose. Once you realise the power of transferable skills, you begin to see a lot more open doors.
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PS: You might’ve noticed I didn’t use any gendered pronouns for Charlie. That’s deliberate. When we talk about social mobility and marginalised backgrounds, we have to make space for everyone in the conversation.
I don’t always get the language perfect, but this is a genuinely safe space for all minorities 🩷
