Are You a ‘Unicorn’?

Here’s another in a series of posts about jobs and job situations you should avoid like a Game of Thrones wedding party. Previously, I’ve detailed how to spot a jerk; why it’s a bad idea to be a “savior”; and the danger of working for a start-up.

This week, I’m discussing the “unicorn” job ad. Yes, it’s a real thing, unlike the mythical

creature of yore. What is a unicorn in the corporate world? Basically, it’s an employee that has the “soft” skills required for a particular position in addition to the prowess to do the technological tasks of the job. Think of a marketing executive who understands human behavior as well as coding and the ability to mine Big Data for consumer patterns.

In the media world, it’s a reporter who can report news, write it up in a coherent manner, edit other people’s work, and then go out and shoot and edit videos. Oh, and by the way, it doesn’t hurt if that reporter is a kick-ass graphic artist, too.

Here’s a perfect example of a unicorn:

“…… is seeking reporter/editor with a strong interest in both written and visual journalism ... The reporter/editor will work to enhance our infographics, and to develop survey-driven articles, columns and webcasts.”

Got that? In addition to reporting and writing, this unicorn must produce webcasts, research data, and create infographics. Anything else I can do for you, sir? Like wipe your butt and get you lunch?

Now, as someone who has worked in the field, I can say with some assurance that this person doesn’t exist, or doesn’t at this point in time.

Now, lest you accuse me of being a luddite, at my previous jobs, I actually did create infographics and produced videos. That was on top of my interviewing and writing long-form articles and daily news items. So, I have a good idea of what it takes to accomplish those tasks. Each is time-consuming. That is, if you want to do it properly.

In theory, I understand the need for a unicorn. Nearly every job requires some technical expertise. If you want to stay employed, you learn the programs, as I did.

In a person’s personal life, well, that’s a different story. People use technology as it fits into their individual lifestyle. They can go as high tech or low tech as they want. That’s their choice and no one should judge them. For a job, however, you master the technical skills required — or you won’t be employed very long.

Unfortunately, the problem with these imaginary unicorn employees is that our higher educational system has not quite caught up with the needs of employers. Employers want all these tech skills, but colleges are now scrambling to provide the courses. It’s why coding bootcamps are a big business today. They fill a gap higher educational institutions don’t currently fulfill. Colleges and universities will eventually catch up, but it will take time.

In the meantime, employers will demand that workers be experts in everything from human behavior and investigative reporting to web coding and Big Data mining. Fun times!

I also believe there is another factor behind this desire for a unicorn. Companies want their workers to do more than one job, because, hey, it’s cheaper. Why pay an IT person and a reporter when you can get one to do both for one measly salary. The fact that asking workers to do so many tasks means they are probably not going to do anything very well never enters into the employer’s mind. Heck, if one person can’t do the job, we’ll just find another unicorn. Employers demand excellence in all facets of a job. But is that realistic when you want somebody with both soft and technical skills? Is it fair to expect somebody to break news, produce webcasts and videos, all on the same day?

Hey, I’m just asking. Yes, companies have the right to define the skill sets required for particular jobs. I wonder, though, if demanding too many skills from one person is wise. Can that worker accomplish all those tasks to a high standard? Maybe, maybe not. A company may get labor on the cheap, but at what cost to overall quality — and the worker’s health?

Should you apply for a unicorn job ad? Only if you have the required technical and soft skills, or know you can learn them quickly. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time, much like chasing after the unicorn of fairy tales.