So, what is 'talent' anyway?

The word gets thrown around quite a bit, but what is “talent,” exactly? To the recruiting industry, It’s generally understood to represent the broad spectrum of people who make up the workforce. But is that all the word “talent” means to a recruiter or a human resources professional? How about a job seeker?

Monster asked career advice expert Alexandra Levit, author of They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, about this all-encompassing word and its deeper meaning.

Q: What is talent? Can we define this word we hear all too often?

Alexandra Levit: A talent is a natural aptitude or skill. Talent in the plural is an HR term referring to a population of employees.

Q: Is talent something someone can learn?

AL: A talent is at least somewhat natural, although you have to practice to refine it. Skills, however, can usually be learned from scratch and most workplace tasks involve skills rather than talents.

Q: Workers should be able to learn on the job. But how can a worker tell if he or she lacks the talent necessary for the job?

AL: As you say, it's a rare situation in which someone doesn't have enough talent for the job. An example of this would be a job as a professional singer. If you are tone deaf, then you simply don't have the talent to do this job. Period. I would say that if you have tried through formal and informal means to learn the skills associated with a job and just can't get the hang of doing it proficiently, then there may be a talent issue.

Q: And how can this worker differentiate between “wrong fit” and “wrong talent”?

AL: Wrong talent means you can't do a job competently. Wrong fit means that culturally or strength-wise, this position may not be the best match for you.

Q: It’s probably OK to be “untalented” as it pertains to any given job. Right?

AL: Yes, of course. As mentioned above, you don't have to be especially talented to do most jobs, you just have to learn enough of the relevant skills to be competent. Also, most jobs involve a range of skills, and we will naturally be stronger in some than others.

Q: If someone comes to the realization they lack the talent necessary to do their job, what should they do?

AL: Do a self-assessment test to assess where the natural talents/aptitudes lie, and look internally to see if there's a position that better fits the bill. They should also have an honest conversation with their manager to see if they are being too hard on themselves. If they really are in fact a disaster at the job, can the problem be remedied or is it best to move on?

Q: Growing up I always heard "there's a job out there for everyone." I feel like this is applicable here. Is it?

AL: Absolutely. Just take a look at the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook sometime—there are literally hundreds of thousands of occupations out there, and to think there is nothing you can do proficiently is just nonsense. In fact, there are probably dozens of jobs you can do well—and that you like well enough. The challenge is to find a position in which you meet the basic criteria but also have room for growth and development.

Find where you fit

What is talent worth if you've got no way to put it to good use? Could you use some help finding the job that lets you excel? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent directly to your inbox to cut down on time spent looking through ads.