Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

Searching for a job in today’s workplace is like being in a battle zone. Although the unemployment rate has dropped from its 2009 high of 10 percent, there are still millions of Americans out of work. This means that you are likely to face an army of competition for every job to which you apply. How do you stand out?

The career hunt is a careful balance between finding a job that appeals to you and one that also suits your abilities. If you have trained for a career in one field, it can be a tough sell to apply for a position in another. Besides matching what you like with what you can do, job matching is about making sure the whole picture fits together cohesively.

If your startup's starting to grow, you may be considering hiring on a few new people. As you probably already know, who you hire matters at a small, growing company. The health of your operation depends on who you have working for you. There's only so much you can accomplish by yourself.

Competencies are measureable or observable knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors critical to job performance. Core competencies are the foundation of a good job fit and a key to reducing turnover by hiring people who can successfully do their jobs.

Guest post by Ali Schwanke

I'm an excellent leader. I always communicate effectively. I'm visionary and dedicated to results. My employees know just how much I appreciate their contributions to the organization.

Really???

Stop and consider this: If you think you are a great leader in all of these areas, how do you know this is true?