Job requirements can fluctuate wildly
➔ Many job seekers fret about having the right skills for the job. Some recruiters recommend going back to school – even if it’s just to attain a 13-week certification in something. Of course, the right answer (if there is one) will depend on the individual in question and that person’s own individual circumstances.
So what’s a body to do?
How do you know if you have the right skills? Enough skills? The appropriate skills? When you rinse off the sugar coating, what do you need to get a job?
The simple answer is: ask 100 people, get 100 answers. Unfortunately that’s not much help to the job seeker. Hence, the frustration.
We were heartened not long ago by a woman business owner who offered this sage advice: “If you have the drive, if you have the ability to work with a team, I can teach you everything else.”
That is so insightful; so refreshing. The bad news is that not all (probably not even most) companies see things that way.
That leads us to circle back to advice we’ve given several times in several formats. Identify your accomplishments and sell the hell out of them. This isn’t a boring recap of job titles. Nor is it any laundry list of skills. This is what you’ve accomplished. This is how your previous employer benefitted from your efforts. This is why you can help this new company as well.
As Benjamin Franklin said, “Well done is better than well said.”