Looking for a job? Highlight your ability, not your experience

Very few of us hold jobs that line up directly with our past experiences or what we studied in college. Take TED Resident Jason Shen; he studied biology but later became a product manager at a tech company. In this quick, insightful talk about human potential, Shen shares some new thinking on how job seekers can make themselves more attractive -- and why employers should look for ability over credentials.

You know who I'm envious of?

People who work in a job
that has to do with their college major.

(Laughter)

Journalists who studied journalism,

engineers who studied engineering.

The truth is, these folks
are no longer the rule,

but the exception.

A 2010 study found that
only a quarter of college graduates

work in a field
that relates to their degree.

I graduated with not one
but two degrees in biology.

To my parents' dismay,
I am neither a doctor nor a scientist.

(Laughter)

Years of studying DNA replication
and photosynthesis

did little to prepare me
for a career in technology.

I had to teach myself everything
from sales, marketing, strategy,

even a little programming, on my own.

I had never held the title
of Product Manager

before I sent my resume in to Etsy.

I had already been turned down
by Google and several other firms

and was getting frustrated.

The company had recently gone public,

so as part of my job application,

I read the IPO filings from cover to cover

and built a website from scratch
which included my analysis of the business

and four ideas for new features.

It turned out the team was actively
working on two of those ideas

and had seriously considered a third.

I got the job.

We all know people who were ignored
or overlooked at first

but went on to prove their critics wrong.

My favorite story?

Brian Acton, an engineering manager

who was rejected
by both Twitter and Facebook

before cofounding WhatsApp,

the mobile messaging platform
that would sell for 19 billion dollars.

The hiring systems we built
in the 20th century are failing us

and causing us to miss out
on people with incredible potential.

The advances in robotics
and machine learning

and transforming the way we work,

automating routine tasks
in many occupations

while augmenting and amplifying
human labor in others.

At this rate, we should all be expecting
to do jobs we've never done before

for the rest of our careers.

So what are the tools
and strategies we need

to identify tomorrow's high performers?

In search for answers, I've consulted
with leaders across many sectors,

read dozens of reports and research papers

and conducted some of my own
talent experiments.

My quest is far from over,

but here are three ideas to take forward.

One: expand your search.

If we only look for talent
in the same places we always do --

gifted child programs, Ivy League schools,

prestigious organizations --

we're going to get
the same results we always have.

Baseball was transformed
when the cash-strapped Oakland Athletics

started recruiting players
who didn't score highly

on traditionally valued metrics,
like runs batted in,

but who had the ability
to help the team score points

and win games.

This idea is taking hold
outside of sports.

The Head of Design
and Research at Pinterest

told me that they've built
one of the most diverse

and high-performing teams
in Silicon Valley

because they believe
that no one type of person

holds a monopoly on talent.

They've worked hard
to look beyond major tech hubs

and focus on designers' portfolios,

not their pedigrees.

Two: hire for performance.

Inspired by my own job experience,

I cofounded a hiring platform
called Headlight,

which gives candidates
an opportunity to shine.

Just as teams have tryouts
and plays have auditions,

candidates should be asked
to demonstrate their skills

before they're hired.

Our clients are benefiting
from 85 years of employment research,

which shows that work samples

are one of the best predictors
of success on the job.

If you're hiring a data analyst,

give them a spreadsheet of historical data
and ask them for their key insights.

If you're hiring a marketing manager,

have them plan a launch campaign
for a new product.

And if you're a candidate,
don't wait for an employer to ask.

Seek out ways to showcase
your unique skills and abilities

outside of just the standard
resume and cover letter.

Three: get the bigger picture.

I've heard about recruiters who are quick
to label a candidate a job-hopper

based on a single
short stint on their resume;

read about professors who are more likely
to ignore identical messages from students

because their name
was black or Asian instead of white.

I was almost put on
a special needs track as a child.

A month into kindergarten,

my teacher wrote a page-long memo

noting that I was impulsive,

had a short attention span,

and despite my wonderful curiosity,

I was exhausting to work with.

(Laughter)

The principal asked
my parents into a meeting,

asked my mother if there
had been complications at birth

and suggested I meet
with a school psychologist.

My father saw what was happening

and quickly explained
our family situation.

As recent immigrants,
we lived in the attic

of a home that cared for adults
with mental disabilities.

My parents worked nights
to make ends meet,

and I had little opportunity
to spend time with kids my own age.

Is it really a surprise
that an understimulated five-year-old boy

might be a little excited
in a kindergarten classroom

after an entire summer by himself?

Until we get a holistic view of someone,

our judgment of them
will always be flawed.

Let's stop equating
experience with ability,

credentials with competence.

Let's stop settling
for the safe, familiar choice

and leave the door open
for someone who could be amazing.

We need employers to let go
of outdated hiring practices

and embrace new ways
of identifying and cultivating talent,

and candidates can help
by learning to tell their story

in powerful and compelling ways.

We could live in a world where people
are seen for what they're truly capable of

and have the opportunity
to realize their full potential.

So let's go out and build it.

Thank you.

(Applause)