Business surveys increasingly note that employers have job openings they can't fill.
Many workers have a hard time accepting that. They're trying hard to land a job, or they know others who have been applying for months.
Unfortunately, there are millions of job hunters -- but most lack the precise skills or experience for openings.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, more than half of 2,280 randomly selected hirers surveyed in eight industries said they couldn't find the right people they need.
Engineering, high-skill medical, science, information technology and manufacturing firms were most likely to say they're finding skill gaps between the applicant pool and their requirements.
"It follows logically that if key jobs cannot be filled in organizations, then other less-critical jobs requiring less skill cannot be created either, because the organization's growth is stunted," said SHRM Vice President Mark Schmit.
SHRM said the most basic skill gaps were in the ability to write or speak English well, to do basic math and to read with good comprehension.
That is sad information indeed. Workers without those high-school-level skills will have a hard time competing for any job, especially when MBAs and college graduates are vying for work.
What's harder for many job hunters to understand is why they personally -- well-educated and with a solid work history -- aren't getting hired.
The answer lies in the word "precise." Most employers don't have the time, money or interest to train someone who is nearly right for the job. They want someone who comes in the door as a perfect fit.
An engineer needs to be the right kind of engineer. An IT specialist needs to be the right kind of IT expert. In this job market, it's difficult to get a foot in the door to show how one's skills are transferrable.
It's yet another reason why networking into smaller and midsize companies may be better for job hunters who want to display their transferrable skills or trainability.
