These jobs/companies/teams aren't that special; so why all the hullabaloo? (employees, highest)

[modest]

Throughout my career, I've encountered companies who think what they do is very special, and that the work they do is extremely complicated or difficult or particular. Job descriptions are written to sound very sophisticated, almost daunting to the outside perspective. Managers describe their teams as of the highest caliber, and HR teams boast about how only superstars need apply.

Now, I am most definitely not the smartest person in the room, nor am I inclined to be. But it's occurred to me that most of this seems to be marketing nonsense. At this point in my career, I have a fairly significant body of work to reference. Not a single job I've worked has been incredibly sophisticated or complicated. In many instances, I've not had direct experience with certain aspects of the job, but I figured it out in a short amount of time and without too much difficulty. A lot of it seems administrative, in fact. And these are jobs that are well-regarded, paid well, and well beyond the standard "McJob". Most recently, I pivoted into accounting because I've always regarded people with accounting backgrounds as sophisticated and they seem to do well in Corporate America in general. But now that I'm in the field, doing the mind-numbing work, I feel like nothing more than a glorified admin because computers do everything now.

Furthermore, while I've worked with some bright and clever folks, I'd say that at least 80% of teams I've worked on are composed of people just getting by and trying to earn a buck. The teams' compositions are most certainly not a majority of superstars. In fact, many of them often seem to know just enough to get by, but not much else beyond a very limited scope of their duties. I mean, mathematically, this wouldn't even be possible, as most people by definition are average--not exceptional.

This brings me to my final point and question. If you're a moderately intelligent person with a good pedigree and work history, then why are there so many obstacles and barriers in the way of getting into these anything-but-extraordinary, milquetoast companies/teams/jobs? Is this the result of some sort of misguided, over correction? Have these companies become so concerned with blocking out the unwanted sub-par, incompetent, slacker worker that they've built an unnecessarily daunting obstacle course and expectation for everyone else? And if so, why are these people still prevalent in most (large to mid-sized) organizations I've worked at?

While this leaves me feeling exceptional and special at times (because I see their definition of "superstars" and can't help but laugh), it also leaves me feeling frustrated. While I'm learning not to do this anymore, I've spent so much time building up all these wildly glamorous expectations of a job just to be disappointed in the long run after I learn that nothing about what they do is special, most of the people aren't that smart, and the work is so monotonous and clerical that almost any average person could be taught the job.

[Blondebaerde]

Sure. I worked for Microsoft as a full time employee. They fancied themselves smartest guys in the room for a few years, and got results. Results count.

Fortunately, I learned over time "If I'm the smartest guy in the room, I'm in the wrong room." I don't have strong feelings about Microsoft as an employer one way or another, it's a rather strange culture of excellence. And a snake pit of big brains trying to outdo one another, at worst.

To your point: I'm a moderately intelligent person with a good pedigree and work history. I had the right story at the right time that landed with the right people. Sun Tzu quote that seems appropriate:

"Know yourself and the enemy and you will not lose in a hundred battles. Know yourself and not the enemy and you will win half, and lose half. Not knowing yourself and the enemy and you will lose all the time."

End of the day, it was tolerable to work at that particular major. There are others with similar presence in my town, notably Amazon. I may or may not ever land with them, and don't care as I'm making by-far the most money ever via a form of IT entrepreneurship vs. working at Big Tech Hot Shot Firm. They'd have to wave serious coin (probably in options, bonus, grants, etc.) to drag me away.

I took some of the above far too seriously a few years. It ain't all that.

[tnff]

I could see several possibilities.

a. You have to offer something to get people to apply. Who wants to work at a company that advertises itself as "average people doing mediocre work work mediocre pay."
b. A business version of Dunning-Kruger in action. Low performing workgroups fool themselves into thinking they are high performing. I actually see this happening where I work. Group A is average performers, doing a mediocre job. Actually dragging down the few top performers in the workgroup as they try to carry the load for the whole group. Yet group A think of themselves as high performing individuals and take great offense if someone outside questions their performance. Group B IS a group of top performers. They don't brag about themselves because their performance speaks for them.
c. Maybe they really are top performers, like group B.

As for your question of why it's so hard to get a job, I look at modern HR practices. Too many computer keyword filters and HR voodoo getting in the way.

[K12144]

Statistics alone should tell you that every employer in the world isn't going to be full of superstars... by the very definition, most employees are going to be average people.

But since many jobs often have many applicants, employers can be picky. Expect you to have experience for the simplest, crappiest jobs... hire people with qualifications above the requirement because they can get those applicants... etc. And, I'm sure they want to make it sound like a great place to work full of fabulous people-- in some respects, the employer is also selling themself (and, of course, make you feel like you were lucky to get in, etc. etc.).

[bobsell]

I won't work for Microsoft or FAANG or any Silicon Valley company. They work their people to death, and in Silicon Valley, your career is over at age 35 unless you're a founder.

[Tencent]

OP congratulations, you have pulled back the curtain and revealed the wizard of Oz.