Your attitude toward supervisors and co-workers must show how you can effectively understand them and have them understand you. You must show how you can get along with others and show how you can develop a level of trust that is acceptable to others in the organization.

Your attitude toward the work being done must match the goal of the organization. If your vision of what should be done differs from others in the organization, the match isn't feasible. For example, a person who hates animals should not work in a veterinary hospital.

Every job is different, therefore, the mixture of the three types of skills will be different as well. Each job requires that all three skills be present but rarely are the employer's demand for all three equal. In some cases, the demand for technical skills is high and relational skills low. Other times the relational skills are high and the technical skills are low. Still in others, the demand for strong transferable skills will be present. There isn't a constant answer explaining which skill is the most important. This is one area where research on an organization and about the job is crucial before contacting the employer.

Let's take a look at two case scenarios. In the first case, an employer having strong religious viewpoints is looking to hire an administrative assistant. In this case a candidate with similar relational skills will have the greatest chance of being employed.

In the second scenario a large corporation is looking to hire a temporary worker to complete a one-time project having a deadline. This time technical skills will be used as the crucial deciding factor on who to employ. If the same employer intends to use the temporary assignment as a test, to see how effectively the individual works and possibly considers the person as a future full-time employee, then the person's transferable skills become more important.

How does this information help you? It helps you compare your preferences with the demands of the employer. A good match between you and employer requires the employer be able to meet your needs, as you must be able to meet the needs of the employer. It provides a clue about research that you need to complete about an employer. Experts advocate the importance of research but few explain what is needed. It frees you from the "one type fits all" syndrome. A job searching strategy that is focused on the employer's needs is more effective than one that appeals to all. A strategy that is generic appeals to no one.

Searching for jobs is difficult. It requires know-how, hard work, timing and luck. When you understand what skills you possess and the skills needed by the employer, you improve your chances of being employed.

Robert G. Huffstutler is Senior Coordinator, Cooperative Education/Internship Program at Northern Illinois University. He has worked with college age students in the field of experiential education since 1990. Copyright pending