Matthew Sigelman

Matt Sigelman CEO at Burning Glass Technologies Greater Boston Area Connect Connect with Matt Sigelman Burning Glass Technologies Harvard Business School See contact info 500+ connections As CEO of Burning Glass Technologies, I am leading a team devoted to solving the skills gap by providing the high fidelity data and rich tools that help employers, learners, and policy makers better understand the labor market so that they plan more effectively and connect more efficiently. The labor market is broken, the world around. Employers have trouble finding skilled talent, even while many are out of work, or so discouraged they stop even looking for jobs. But what many call a “skills gap” is really an information gap – an inability to match skills with available openings that makes it hard for workers and employers to find each other. Burning Glass harnesses the power of real-time job market data, based on analysis of an enormous and continually updated database of job postings and real-life career transitions, to deliver products and insights that have helped fill millions of jobs. With this insight, I believe we can make the labor market more efficient for both employers and job seekers alike. Burning Glass Technologies for HR and Recruiting Burning Glass Technologies for HR and Recruiting Burning Glass Technologies for Higher Education Burning Glass Technologies for Higher Education Show less Show less of Matt’s summary Articles & activity 3,146 followers Congratulations, You've Got a Diploma: Now Start Building Your Skills Matt’s profile photo Matt Sigelman Published on LinkedIn It’s apt that job-hunting season for college graduates and summer pool season coincide: both involve a splash of cold water. The lucky graduates already have jobs lined up, while others are still hunting for work. Some, at least, are going to experience “near-misses” when they are edged out at the last minute by someone slightly more qualified. The last thing most graduates have on their minds is learning a new skill — and yet for many that’s the best route to locking down a job, both in the short term and throughout their career. There’s an important point to remember about employers: They like diplomas, certainly, but they also think in terms of skills. Employers want to know you can walk in the door and get right to work. In fact, companies are even holding interns to that standard, becoming much more specific about what they want interns to know before coming on board. The good news is that the average college graduate is actually in pretty good shape as far as skills go. And if graduates do fall short, there are some quick fixes out there. Our analysis of what employers ask for in job postings shows that colleges do, in fact, teach many of the skills employers say they need. With a little bit of tinkering around the edges, even graduates in programs that aren’t specifically vocational, like liberal arts, can be prepared for the marketplace. Here are three things to keep in mind: Soft Skills Count Our research supports the argument that the intangible qualities of a good education, like critical thinking, do in fact have value in the job market. One in three skills employers request in job postings is a soft or “foundational” skill. These include skills everyone might reasonably expect a college graduate to possess: writing, organizational and communication skills; problem-solving and planning skills; and the ability to plan ahead or to research a problem. Even in technology careers, one in four job postings requests such skills. While digital literacy is important in today’s economy, the ability to work in teams, problem-solve and think critically continue to reign supreme. Mundane Skills Matter High-end technology skills such as coding get most of the attention, but basic tech skills can still make a big difference . For example, nearly six in 10 college graduate jobs are in fields that call for Excel proficiency. The world runs on spreadsheets, and programs like Microsoft Excel have become a basic ticket to entry. In today’s workforce, even most middle-skill job opportunities require digital literacy. These positions are growing 2.5 times faster and pay 18 percent higher wages on average than jobs that don’t have a digital component. Add Value to a Liberal Arts Education All of this suggests that even the foundational skills developed in liberal arts programs have strong job market value. By offering a few additional “hard skills,” liberal arts colleges can make their graduates even more marketable to potential employers. Consider this: roughly 25 percent of all entry level jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree are traditionally open to liberal arts graduates (about 950,000 job postings). And our review of job postings shows that by adding one or more of eight skill sets we identified, liberal arts majors can nearly double the entry-level jobs open to them (48 percent) and command a $6,000 salary premium. These job skill sets include marketing, graphic design, social media, sales, general business, data analysis and management, computer programming, and IT networking. “But I’ve already graduated!” some may wail. That doesn’t mean it’s too late. A lot of the skills cited above can be learned in short-term courses, boot camps, or other nontraditional venues—and learned while you’re still actively job-hunting or working. In an ideal world, education would be better aligned with what employers want, and students would already have learned exactly what they need to enter the workforce. A lot of people are working to build that world. But while it’s under construction, graduates can make sure they’ve got every edge possible. Matthew Sigelman is the chief executive officer of Burning Glass Technologies Like Comment Share See all articles No alt text provided for this image We need a Waze for careers, and this #wallstreetjournal story using Burning Glass data shows how it can be done. I'm convinced that leveraging these adjacent roles is crucial in adapting to the #futureofwork. https://lnkd.in/eTxdSfq Matt shared this 38 Likes 1 Comment No alt text provided for this image Lifelong learning is an essential route into these hybrid jobs. In fact, it may be the only route. #recruitment #futureofwork #skills Matt shared this 47 Likes 2 Comments No alt text provided for this image Human skills, business enabler skills, and digital building blocks: Anant Agarwal and I look at the skillsets that will serve every employee well in the new economy. #futureofwork #skills Matt shared this 27 Likes 1 Comment See all activity Experience Burning Glass Technologies CEO Company NameBurning Glass Technologies Dates EmployedApr 2002 – Present Employment Duration17 yrs 1 mo LocationGreater Boston Area Burning Glass Technologies is a fast-growing labor market analytics company that is delivering unprecedented intelligence on jobs and talent as well as technology that is filling millions of jobs. Burning Glass data and applications are changing the way hundreds of educational institutions and online training providers identify market opportunities and support their students. At the same time, employers are using Burning Glass data to make smarter buy-vs.-build decisions for talent and to build supply chains that ensure they have ready access to the skills they need when they need them. And Burning Glass powers initiatives for more than a dozen state and national governments. The unique insi... See more Education Harvard Business School Harvard Business School Degree NameMBA Dates attended or expected graduation 1997 – 1999 Princeton University Princeton University Degree NameAB Field Of StudyWoodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs Dates attended or expected graduation 1991 – 1995