Job Listings: Cracking the Code

If you've ever surfed the Net for several job listings or looked at a job opening listed in the newspaper, you would probably be familiar with the feeling that you get when you see a job that you'd like to apply for but instead you read through it and say, "I'd be perfect for this job if only...,"

This is a very common phenomenon about job seekers when they read a job listing and its qualifications. You wonder if there is any flexibility involved whenever an employer posts a job listing. Now is the time to dispel the myths of job listings.

For some job listings, there will be employers who will require you to be grounded in a specific field or that you need to have a particular experience. You always see specific job requirements. However, there are some job listing terms that you might need to learn more about so that you will always know when to apply for a job and when not to.

Preferred skills vs. Required skills

When you see that a skill is "required" by the company, then it is a lot firmer. It's a non-negotiable, so to speak. Employers will want to narrow down the field and their choices so they will be listing skills that are required. If you contrast that with the "preferred skills", then you have skills that are considered "ideal" by the employer.

Because it is not realistic for an employer to expect to get a candidate who absolutely meets all of the requirements, they will most probably list some of their non-negotiables in the "preferred skills" column instead of the "required skills" column. If you are a candidate who meets just around 50 to 60 percent of the qualifications in the job listing, then you might not be enough for them to consider you. But if you're around past 80 percent, then you have a good shot of getting hired. 

For this particular area, you should know just how capable you are with your different skills and you should see how they match up with what the employer is looking for. Try to always see your strengths and see if you can match it up or substitute them with some of the required or preferred skills that the company is asking for. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to accurately gauge what companies you can apply to.