Some of them tapped their stock options and became the wealthy venture capitalists we see today investing in small companies. No long list of skills, techniques, and special requirements.Ī few of those aspiring professors took the gamble: They dropped out of the usual career track, became pioneers, and in many cases went on to become senior managers. Cell Biologist needed for growing biotechnology company.”

Those ads went something like this: “Ph.D. The requirements listed were minimal because at the time it was hard to get someone who aspired to be a professor to move over to the dark side. I especially remember the first recruitment ads run by one of the big biotech companies after it went public. What I remember most about them was their simplicity. Two decades ago, you’d occasionally see a job ad from a company in Science or another journal, but such ads were rare. Just why do companies still have a hard time finding their ideal candidates, despite the near-record number of people in the market? In this issue’s column, I’d like to dissect this issue from both the candidates’ and employers’ perspectives. this does create a revenue stream for third-party providers like me who get hired to fill those positions.) I’ve got to tell you, the divide between employers’ “wants” and candidates’ “haves” is real, and it’s growing larger. Employers have always complained about what they see when they start looking for well-qualified technical professionals. What is going on? It isn’t just the bad economy. I thought with this economy the way it is that I would be seeing candidates who have the background and experience we are looking for.” Likewise, the response to ads is a big surprise to the manager who wrote up the position description, because he or she doesn’t find a waiting stream of people with her exact requirements.Īs a friend recently told me, “The CVs I am getting just don’t appear to fit my open position. It’s always a surprise when jobseekers who have worked hard for years to accumulate skills and credentials lose out repeatedly to one of hundreds of other applicants. For years, there’s been a big divide between the kind of people companies want to hire and the kind of people they see when they announce the opening.

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