Fearless Interviewingbookis listing competencies as well as skills to draw a well-round-
ed picture of what employers actually demand.
For example, the handbook notes that for the position of
“financial and securities advisor,” such competencies and person-
al traits as “a desire to succeed,” “ability to handle rejection,” and
“self-confidence” may actually be of morevalue to the employer
than traditional skills like numerical ability or formal education.
Even in positions involving a very high level of technical skill,
competencies still come strongly into play. In a Web site job
description of skills necessary for a computer hardware engineer,
“willingness to constantly update knowledge” is a competency
that ranks as high in importance as other skills that are more
technology oriented.
What Are Some of the Most Valued Competencies?
Some of the core competencies that are most important for
many positions in today’s rapidly shifting marketplace are the
following:
- Flexibility. The ability to change, sometimes quickly, from
one set of job duties to another, or from one team to
another or to working extra or different hours. - Adaptability. The ability to tolerate and maximize the
potential of large organizational shifts such as mergers or
layoffs. Also, the ability to adjust to new leadership and
management—to change departments, divisions, loca-
tions, or job titles. - Problem-solving skills. The ability to self-correct. Having
the tendency to tackle problems independently and with
a minimum of supervision. Having the ability to tolerate
frustration and/or failure until the solution to the prob-
lem is found. Maintaining persistence despite ambiguous
or incomplete information and perseverance despite ini-
tial failure or frustration. - Interpersonal communication. The ability to communicate
in a way that is appropriate to company culture as well as
individual preferences, with empathy, clarity, and good
listening behaviors. Having the ability to give feedback
and having sensitivity to multicultural preferences in