When Job Searching, Problem-Solving Skills Trump Qualifications
From Applicant to Asset: How a Problem-Solving Approach Makes You Stand Out
Behind every job post lies a company’s underlying problem or need, and to be successful, candidates must demonstrate their ability to understand and solve that problem.
There ya go. Read no further.
Weird. Nice of you to stick around.
Job Qualifications Are Typically Not Disqualifications
Sometimes, people see job posts and think, “I am not qualified for that job.” And maybe they are not. Instead, I think the better question to ask yourself before applying or before interviewing is can I bring a solution this company needs?
Again, in every job post, the company needs to solve an underlying problem or need. Not always does a job post represent an accurate portrayal of that problem. It often doesn’t. I saw a job post a couple of years ago that said it required 20 years of experience in podcasting, podcasts hadn’t been “invented” until 2004, so if someone has 20 years of podcasting experience at this point, they’re probably more qualified to be a time traveler than a podcast executive.
Instead, I think these qualifications often (not always1) explain the type of person who would be overqualified to solve a problem. And so, people sometimes feel not qualified yet are capable of solving the problem, and the match goes unmade. That’s a shame.
Not every person who is writing a job post is thinking about all the possibilities of people they could hire. It’s like someone was hiring someone to build a fence, and they said, “Must possess 300 nails.” Well, maybe they want a fence nailed together, but perhaps they forgot to mention that they’re also happy with someone who’s used screws. Maybe they would even be good with a chain-link fence. Or maybe it’s for keeping a dog in, and an electronic fence would be great. Maybe they’re trying to keep people out, and moat would be just as good - maybe even better.
Identify Problems, Write to Your Ability to Solve Them.
I recommend looking at the responsibilities section or the job description section and trying to parse out the types of problems that this role will face. Write them out even. Then, answer, have I solved these types of issues before? If so, then I think you may be a good fit!
Now, you need to get your foot in the door. Resumes are a long shot for many reasons, but if you see a role you want to use your resume to apply for, I recommend tailoring your resume to speak to how you’ve previously solved these problems they’re trying to solve. Make it clear: You have these problems. I’ve fixed them before.
The Two Types of Interviewers
Fast forward to you’re interviewing. There are two types of interviews I’m going to delineate.
Screeners
Stakeholders
Screeners are like HR or members of different departments who check for cultural fit. Those interviews are generally not problem-focused. They’re qualification focused. They’re personality focused. They’re soft skills focused. With this interview, your foot is already in the door - they feel you are qualified enough. They don’t just interview for fun. So, calm down, be you, talk about your skills, your experience. Be confident. Be easy to talk to. Be interested. These interviews matter, but they matter differently than interviews with stakeholders.
Stakeholders are the direct manager of the role, team members to the role being hired, and the boss of the direct manager of the position. These people really need the hire to come in and solve the problems. And when you talk to these people, it’s important to speak to them about how you will solve their problems. Answer their questions but also learn about their problem. If you see an opening to ask about precisely what they are doing, ask! You want to learn about day-to-day challenges and concerns and, when given a chance, speak about how you’d solve them. So get curious, get conversational, and get proactive.
Stakeholders will try to qualify you. And they may try to qualify you in ONLY THE WAYS THEY IMMEDIATELY KNOW HOW TO QUALIFY. And yet, that does not mean that you will be incapable of solving their problems.
Interviewing with Curiosity and A Problem-Solving Mindset
Often a type of question arises where candidates feel they’re getting disqualified because they don’t have the answer. I’ve seen this interviewing hundreds of people. I ask a technical question, and the candidate either doesn’t know the answer offhand, is flustered, or just can’t muster the correct response. The candidate feels hopeless. The interview was over before it began. Instead, get curious! If someone asks you a technical question, clarify! Understand!
Candidate 1 Scenario
Stakeholder: “Do you know how to calculate IRR?”
Candidate 1: “No.”
Candidate 2 Scenario
Stakeholder: “Do you know how to calculate IRR?”
Candidate: 2 “Oh cool, you guys calculate IRR. I’m curious for what part of your business are you doing that for?”
Stakeholder: “Well, we use it as one of the metrics to measure the financial health of our departments, along with a few other metrics.”
Candidate 2: “Oh, you’re using IRR to measure the financial health of departments. I’ve definitely measured the financial health of departments, but we’ve been focused on debt to equity and net margin. IRR hasn’t been a metric my company has focused on in the past. But I’m sure I could handle it.”
Both of these people have no idea what IRR is. One sounds like a good potential hire. One doesn’t. Why? Well, one knows the problem behind the question. A problem well stated is half solved, right? Figure out the problem.
Identify Problems, State How You’ve Worked Through Similar Challenges
Let’s say the problems are clear. Now you need to state how you’ve worked through similar problems before. I pulled up a random job from LinkedIn. This is for the CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy. I know zero about this role. Here’s something they want, “Cultivates fiscally sustainable relationships with foundations, corporations, major donors, and prospects, taking a leadership role in developing donor engagement strategies.”
I’ve never worked with donors before. I’ve never worked with foundations. I’ve never developed donor engagement strategies. I can answer this question with MY experience of working through problems like this before. I would speak about how I try to create win-win scenarios with my partners by spending a lot of time talking to uncover underlying interests. I try to focus on sustainability by speaking transparently about my needs while trying to take my counterpart’s point of their goals and how they may fit in. I’m an experimenter when it comes to engagement strategies, and I like to test and develop learnings whenever possible, as well as measure long-term results.
If that’s you hiring for the role, you might think I’m full of it and not a right fit. You may be right. But, I’m telling you the skill set and the tools I can bring to the problem.
At the end of the day, you’ve got the skills you’ve got. You’re probably capable of solving more problems than you realize.
There Are a Lot Of Open Jobs Right Now
As I posted on my LinkedIn the other week, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are only 6 job seekers for every 10 job openings2. It's hard to find work, don't beat yourself up if it doesn't feel like you're making progress. But keep an open mind when looking for roles.
And people hiring, keep an open mind when reviewing candidates. You're fighting to get good people! Find someone who’s got the ability over the qualifications to help.
Some jobs have very HARD skills, and the qualifications matter deeply. I want to write about hard skills shortly. They aren’t obvious.
Actually, 7 job seekers for every 10 job openings based on the latest data as of Saturday, August 5, 2023