JOBS – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

Faced with a rapidly changing world, job seekers are constantly challenged to address the two key factors in any hiring situation. They are: education and experience.  We have already looked at the Department of Labor data that shows the relationship between level of education, unemployment and income (see:  prior post JOBS for details).  In the traditional path shown above, the challenge is to find a job and hopefully a career that fits the degree earned.  In the Your Future path, the link between who you are and career choices drives the major, degree and university decision, not the other way around.  Buzz Today Source:  Your Future is Calling and O*NET    Key elements of a career: Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Personality, Technology, Education

In the post JOBS -How to Compete we look at the reality of the job hiring market and the role bots are playing in hiring decisions. For better or worse, getting a job that pays well and has the potential to lead to a career requires knowledge and work important to deciding on a major and a degree in education.

The topics of education and experience are ones we will explore in great depth in future postings.  For now let’s look at a small sample of how education, experience and knowledge already impacts what jobs employers will consider you for.  Remember the bots.

Here are three very different careers and the technology knowledge you will need to compete. Clearly education and experience will determine whether you get an interview.  The short inventory for each of the highly diversified careers listed below shows why the education you invest in, the experience you gain and the personal knowledge you learn are so very critical to your job opportunities today and even more so, in the future.

Buyer Purchasing Agent Farm Products

Accounting software — Deltek Costpoint
Data base user interface and query software — Microsoft Access; Product producer databases
Electronic mail software — IBM Lotus Notes; Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software — Enterprise resource planning ERP system software; Microsoft Great Plains software; SAP software
Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel

Reporter and Correspondent

Analytical or scientific software — SPSS software; Statistical analysis software
Data base user interface and query software — FileMaker Pro software; Microsoft Access; Microsoft SQL Server; Online databases
Map creation software — ESRI ArcView; Mapping software
Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
Web page creation and editing software — Facebook *; Social media software

Marriage and Family therapist

Accounting software — Intuit QuickBooks software
Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook
Medical software — Anasazi Software Client Data System; Blueberry Harbor Software Clinical Record Keeper; SumTime Software SumTime; Synergistic Office Solutions SOS Case Manager
Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
Word processing software — Microsoft Word

Plumber

Accounting software — Intuit QuickBooks software; Intuit Quicken software; Job costing software; KRS Enterprises Service First!
Analytical or scientific software — Elite Software DPIPE; Elite Software FIRE; Klear Estimator; Quote Software QuoteExpress
Computer aided design CAD software — Autodesk Building Systems; Elite Software Plumbing CAD; Elite Software Sprinkler CAD; Horizon Engineering Sigma Plumbing Calculator
Data base user interface and query software — Database software; Insight Direct ServiceCEO; PricePoint software; Wintac Pro Software
Word processing software — Atlas Construction Business Forms; Contractor City Contractor Forms Pack; Microsoft Word; Wilhelm Publishing Threshold