Ask HR: What job skills do you consider to be most valuable for job applicants in this tough job market?

A: There are many skills that may be important in this tough job market such as technical and adaptive skills but transferable skills are what many employers may now more than ever deem to be the most valuable as these skills can be transferred from industry to industry and job to job. Examples of these skills are effective business communication, customer service (as we’re in a service oriented environment), analytical, interpersonal and teamwork. These are skills that one takes with them no matter where they go. Danese Simpkins, HR Director for Air2Web

A: As an attorney who regularly works with Human Resources professionals, many employers, in today’s economy, benefit from HR professionals who possess the acumen to not only help reduce the legal exposure of organizational restructuring, but also assist in implementing personnel policies that will inure to the overall profitability of their employers. Antonio Robinson, Employment & Labor Attorney with Littler Mendelson, P.C.

A: In today’s market, real experience is a valuable skill. At most companies or corporations, there is the need to perform the job with little or no training. In other words, hit the ground running. This is why it is important to apply where you have great knowledge, the skills, and the experience of the position. Jenny Hattan, HR Manager with ATLRoof

A: In our current state of doing more with less, job applicants must specialize in one particular area but be versatile enough to take on additional responsibilities as demonstrated in past job positions via their resume. In other words, their resume must be rich in additional KSAOC’s (knowledge, skills, ability and other characteristics) beyond what is required. The applicant can then stand-out from the pack. Dr. Joann Adeogun, PHR, HR Consultant with Adeogun & Associates, LLC

The following human resources professionals are members of the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. If you have a question you would like to ask a panel of local experts, please e-mail it to Sharon Belhamel, vice president of public relations for SHRM-Atlanta at sbelhamel@bellsouth.net. For more information about becoming a member of SHRM-Atlanta, please visit their membership section or call 404.442.7335.