Spiceworks Community Digest: A particular set of skills
IT job descriptions can often feel like a frustrating scavenger hunt, demanding specific experience with a particular tool you’ve never used. This is a common pain point for many IT professionals, especially since many of these tools have no public trial or free tier. It raises the question: Why do employers expect candidates to already know their exact proprietary tech stack?
PipeItToDevNull shared his frustration with seeing job postings that demand experience with specific tools like Ivanti DSM or Zscaler when the skills are transferable from other similar software.
The Employer’s Perspective
From an employer’s standpoint, there are several reasons for these specific requirements. While they may sometimes seem unreasonable, they’re often part of the hiring process and the realities of a business. For one, it’s a way to filter through a huge number of applicants. Suzanne (Spiceworks) explained that when she recently had over 800 applicants for a single position, being able to narrow them down by a specific skill was a helpful way to manage the volume. While she would still consider candidates who didn’t check every box, the sheer number of applicants made it highly likely she would find someone who did.
Another reason is efficiency. Companies prefer to minimize training time to get a new hire up to speed as quickly as possible. J-Nonya pointed out that while the demand for specific skills is often flexible, “the less time spent training, the better.” This is especially true for senior positions where a new employee is expected to be a drop-in replacement.
Navigating the Job Market
While these job descriptions can be intimidating, they aren’t always a hard requirement. PatrickFarrell shared a story of a manager who admitted that their ridiculous list of requirements was just a wishlist, and they’d be happy if a candidate had even heard of most of the listed technologies.
wpheinle suggests applying for the job anyway, as the worst that can happen is you get ghosted. They recall a time they applied for a job that required five years of experience with a software application that had only been on the market for three. An interview is a chance to prove that your transferable skills from other platforms make you a great candidate. General Tsao explained that their company advertises for general skills like “Experience in Patch Management” and then, in the interview, they listen to what specific solutions the candidate has used.
What are your thoughts on job postings that require specific, proprietary skills? Head over to the Spiceworks Community to read the full discussion and share your own experiences.
link
