Do managers value skills over potential -- and are they even reading your resume?

Q: An interviewer asked if I did any programming work, when my resume clearly states that I did. Sometimes I'm asked if I know this software tool or that one. If I did, I would have listed them on my resume! I can learn new tools quickly. They don't want to hear it! What's up with interviewers who ask questions that are answered clearly on my resume and who want a perfect match of skills?

NICK'S REPLY: It means that the interviewer either didn't read your resume or is at a loss for what to ask. Some managers will argue that they are very busy and don't have time to review a resume carefully before they meet you. Yet they expect you to be well-prepared for an interview. This is a sign of a lazy manager.

But if you don't mention a tool on your resume, does that mean a manager should not ask about it? Of course not. He might want to assess whether you know how the tool is used. "Have you worked with this tool?" can be just another way of asking, "Tell me what you know about it," and it is a legitimate question.

The matter of quick learners being too readily dismissed, however, is a critical mistake many companies make. They aren't interested in the fact that you can learn almost anything in a few days, given some good manuals and a little peace and quiet. They're interested in hiring someone who can do the job yesterday. Why do you think there's such a "shortage" of qualified technical people? It's mostly nonsense. Anyone can hire an employee who can do one particular task today. It takes a good manager to hire and coach a good employee who can master new tasks as they arise.

A good question to ask interviewers is this: "How many of your team members are doing work today that exactly matches the job description they were hired to do originally?"

That will tell you a lot about whether the manager knows how to manage talent rather than just skills.

THE HEADHUNTER TIP:

Now is the time to ask.

Once you have a job offer, the ball is finally in your court. Now you must decide whether you really want the job. You must also ask questions that will help you get what you want, whether it's a certain level of responsibility, a certain salary or the freedom to do the job your way.

Now is the time to fully interview the company. Are there questions you are concerned about, but which you did not think were appropriate to ask earlier? You have earned the right to ask them.

Finally, it's the time to meet the people who will affect your success: people who work upstream and downstream from your job, and managers who run departments that will influence your success at your job. Ask politely to meet them. Know who you'll be working with.

Is it risky to ask these questions? Sure. So is not knowing the answers.

Copyright 2009. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.