Work

HR Expert Says Employers Today Are Not Looking For ‘Jack of All Trades’ Or Specialised Expertise

Boon Hun

2019-02-11 , 10:00 am

Last Updated on 2022-09-28 , 1:50 pm

You’ve sent thousands of emails out to companies who even have a whiff of vacancy available.

You have an account on every job platform, be it LinkedIn, Jobs Street, JobsDB and even Jobs Bank.

But you’re still not working at your dream job.

So you’re wondering, is it because my certificate isn’t good enough?

Well, I have a piece of good news and a bad one for you.

So, What’s The Bad News?

Your certificate is a depreciating asset. In fact, it depreciates faster than a car in Singapore.

So you’ve invested $23,000++ into getting your certificate (if you’re a university graduate).

And your mom keeps telling you about your life path: go to school, get a degree, get a job and you’ll be happy.

But what she didn’t tell you is that, as the year passes by, the value of your degree drops by a drastic amount.

Like Ding Tai Fung to a food court, then subsequently to coffee shop level.

What’s The Good News Then?

Today, employers are not looking at paper certificates only when hiring candidates.

This means that even if your results aren’t the best, you’ll still have the chance to get in based on the interview that follows.

According to a spokesperson from Tata Consultancy, a Human Resource Solutions Provider, employers today are looking for people with the T-Factor.

T-Factor

Essentially, a T-factor means being a jack-of-all-trades, yet at the same time, being at least proficient in one of the areas.

Check out the one we have for a media company (read: Goody Feed).

Teams today are different from the companies of the past.

While everyone has a subject they’re experts in, they’re also expected to be able to cover the jobs of their team members adequately if they’re swamped with work.

That or if they’re going on a long leave.

And How Is That Good News?

Because as long as you know what you want to do, and you’re willing to put in the work, anyone can achieve the T-factor.

Think about it, with free online courses like EdX or even YouTube, you can learn anything you want in the world.

And there are plenty of opportunities in Singapore to put into practice what you’ve learnt.

Interested in making super cute T-Shirts? Sell them on Carousell. Want to learn how to manage a cafe? Go work part-time as a supervisor and see how you can manage your team.

So in a nutshell?

If you’re sending out thousands of resumes and not receiving any replies, it might be time to stop doing that and look at what you’re doing wrong.

After all, doing a single thing ten thousand times the exact same way, and expecting the results to change, is either insanity or delusional.

Featured Image: August Phunitiphat / Shuttlestock.com