In the Fortune CEO Daily newsletter today Editor Alan Murray reports from Brainstorm Tech that disrupter companies, all being disrupted themselves, talked primarily about “changing cultures and the people skills needed to change them.” When you’re out there interviewing, keep in mind that companies have a short-term and a long-term need. They are interviewing to fill an entry- or low-level position, undoubtedly full of basic grunt work at a desk or computer or on the road. You’ve got to be able to tackle that with a great attitude. If you’re lucky, they’ll couple grunt work with some formal training. But they are also making an investment in their new hire, even with no formal training program. They need that to pay off and so, all things being equal, the candidate who shows a glimmer of longer-term potential wins every time.
We live in a time of unprecedented change and that pace keeps accelerating. If you’re a new college grad or quickly on the track to be a new college grad, a lot of your technical skills are going to be obsolete in a few years. What will last a lifetime, and a whole career, are your communication and managerial skills. That’s where you need to focus your energy to stand out.