Re: job advertisements

[mkale -at- GPS -dot- COM]

Kimberly wrote:
>Do I keep leafing through these ads until I find the one that I
>meet all the qualifications for? Or will I have any chance if I go ahead and
>send my resume and hope someone understands that part of what college taught
>me was how to learn things quickly and on my own.

Kimberly,

Go ahead and apply--all it costs you is a stamp, and the worst thing they can do
is say no. In your cover letter, talk about the skills you have that apply.
Mention that you know a variety of word processing, desktop publishing, etc.
programs, have computer experience and pick up new programs quickly. In your
resume list the programs you do know well, as well as your experience and
education.

In most of the jobs I've held I haven't known all the programs they use. Most
employers recognize that if you have Windows experience you'll pick up new
Windows programs quickly, if you've used one word processing program you can
transfer those skills to another, etc. The longer you've worked with computers
and the more programs you know, the higher your learning curve.

If you do get asked for an interview, take advantage of that time to reiterate
your skills. Emphasize that while programs and technology change quickly, your
more valuable skills--communication, research, understanding of usability, etc.
will remain valuable regardless of the tools you use.

And if a company won't hire you because they might have to take the time to
teach you a new program, or let you learn it on your own, you probably don't
want to work there anyway. Those employers aren't interested in making an
investment in their employees, and life there would just be one struggle after
another.

Good Luck,
Mindy
(mkale -at- gps -dot- com)