So when it comes to thinking strategically about jobs, and filling of roles, I’d like to give a brilliant example from Seth Godin’s blog post last month. Look at how it builds up this reasoning and strategic thinking step by step:
The typical online job site lists millions of jobs. And just about every one of them is a cry for expertise.
From the title to the requirements, companies hire for expertise.
Logic helps us understand that only one out of ten people are in the top 10% when it comes to expertise. And that means that most companies are settling for good enough. If the organization needs people with expertise in the top decile, they’re going to have to pay far more and work far harder to find and retain that sort of skill.
So most companies don’t try. They create jobs that can be done pretty well by people with a typical amount of expertise.
That means that the actual differentiator in just about every job is attitude.
This is a demonstration of how you can develop insights about the market, the jobs and work that you’re seeking to do. If there’s a certification, a clear degree-specific requirement on a job role in order to satisfy regulatory needs, then there’s no point fighting over it. Otherwise, things should be negotiable and how you get yourself through the hop would depend on what you identify to the more important attributes the company is actually hiring for.