What does "qualified" really mean?

Recently I received a query in the mail for a job that opened up in my Diocese. It was addressed to me and inside was a brief description of the job, for which I consider myself highly qualified. But what does the word "qualified" really mean? It would appear that there is a huge difference of opinion among employers and potential employees.

I hear quite often from many frustrated people searching for a job. It appears that they are caught up in a Catch 22 situation. They do not qualify for the job because they lack "experience" and they can't get the experience without the job. But what about all of us out there who have plenty of "experience", it just happens to be in the form of volunteerism, self mastery or self taught or our learned life experiences. Not all experiences garner a paycheck, and yet this really is what employers are asking. Never mind that the experiences one has makes them a better and more viable candidate for the job. And if given the courtesy of an interview, the employer might actually find that out, but NO...an interview is never granted. They are rejected without ever having been given an opportunity to be heard, an opportunity to convey their talents and abilities.

Scenarios like this make me think of the words in the Bible that tell us, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." How many people in history have been cornerstones? Famous authors like Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, Emily Dickinson, and the beloved Dr. Seuss, all of them were rejected and turned away from publishing companies. Or scientists and inventors like Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. But even today there will be hundreds of men and women who WILL make their mark in this world, somehow and someway, but they are being REJECTED because they lack the kind of "experience" employers only think they're looking for. For those companies out there who have hired a seasoned employee, there is usually little regret. Jim Collins, in his book, Good to Great mentions outstanding companies who have learned to think outside the box and often hire these "seasoned" employees that most companies overlook and it has made all the difference in their companies.

As I work with schools, business and churches, I try to get them to understand the benefits of utilizing these type of people who have a lot to offer. As volunteers, the schools, business and churches love them, because they know them to be reliable and give a hundred percent. But when it comes to paying them for the work done, most of these same organizations are reluctant. When you think about it, does it really make any sense at all? It's a mentality that should be encouraged to change, especially in religious organizations. Too many of them have forgotten that Jesus started his ministry with men who were not qualified. They had no experience whatsoever, but look what they accomplished.