Answer to Question #241842 in Management for Vayun

Question

Why the ability of a employee should match the job requirement

Answer 1

Discussion

Matching the skills with the job's requirements is a must; studies have shown that employees whose personality traits match the traits that are ideal for a job can actually earn a higher income. Figuring out the personality type will not only allow in finding the next job that's the right fit, it will help you think about the big picture  (Barron, et al., 2011).  

It is harder than it seems to communicate the right information to a would-be employer. A failure to translate one's qualifications into terms that are meaningful to hiring committees can eliminate one from contention for a prized position. Sometimes vacancy announcements are glorified job descriptions written in arcane language that does not describe the type of professional required to meet the position's needs. Job descriptions are written in terms of the duties, tasks, and responsibilities necessary to do some prescribed function. However, resumes are communicated in terms of one's knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experiences. Bridging the gap between what an employers says the job requires and how this is manifest in a professional that can perform such duties is the main work of the job seeker.

Here are three suggestions for bridging this divide. The first knows that it is the applicant's responsibility to make the pitch (Barron, et al., 2011). Presenting one's application materials as a generic collection of experiences is incomplete. It is necessary to tailor them to the position in question. Don't assume that the reader will see it, know it, or recognize it. Make it plain; just say it. As an example, if the requirement is for a director of fraternity and sorority life, it is assumed that applicants have experience with student organizations, managing events, and Greek Life. Nevertheless, if the job requires experience with leadership development, conflict resolution, diversity training, and supporting retention and graduation initiatives, one must indicate they are bona fide in these areas to be a competitive candidate. Information that is buried in one's resume, that describes these experiences fleetingly, or that uses generalized language might be missed. Communicate the match between the job and one's background in the accomplishments section of the curriculum vitae or resume, or highlight it in the cover letter.

Second, words matter. While some might eschew using buzz words and archetypal phrases, the use of some common terms might be necessary to ensure that one appears capable in the reader's eyes. Which catch-phrases might resonate, or which might sound sentimental, contrived, or overused is hard to know. Everyone knows it when they see it, even if they cannot describe it. One's knowledge of their own profession is the best barometer. Experienced professionals know when to use popular sayings and when to avoid them. Likewise, readers can usually distinguish the veterans from those pretending to be seasoned. Remembering that one's resume is most often being reviewed in a stack of others reminds us to announce to the reviewer that we are qualified. We don't want them to have to dig for the facts or make too many interpretations, just saying it is insurance against oversight or misunderstandings (Barron, et al., 2011).

A third way of proving that one is a great candidate is speaking to each position requirement in the cover letter. A popular approach is putting a table in the cover letter and listing the published requirements for a position in one column and how one's skills and background meets these requirements in a parallel column. This straightforward approach leaves no room for doubt. Others take a no less thorough, but narrative approach and spread their responses throughout their cover letter (Barron, et al., 2011). Though all the requirements might be addressed in the text of the resume, some are sure to be worthy of highlighting in the cover letter. It is also not a bad idea to update the resume and tailor its content, messaging, and phrasing to an opening. One standard is to use the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the resume is the same for every job that one applies to, but 20% of the content reflects the position in question. This 20 percent can make the difference in showing who is most qualified for a position. 

Reference

Barron, J. M., Black, D. A., & Loewenstein, M. A. (2011). Job matching and on-the-job training. Journal of labor Economics, 7(1), 1-19.