It takes more than just the role-specific competencies to succeed on the job.  I’m not saying that having the hard skill isn’t important — you’ve got to have it to even begin to think about qualifying for the job.  But in addition, you need some other very important stuff:

• The softer skills — like communication skills, problem-solving ability, teamwork.
• An acceptable work ethic — dress appropriately, show up on time and show up every day, get along with your co-workers, respect authority.
• Culture fit — the often-subtle corporate culture nuances can make or break you on the job.

So go to school.  Get that skill.  Work on that experience.  But seriously consider the other things that are necessary for long-term success.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 3:22 pm and is filed under World of Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.