Americans are "can do" people. We pride ourselves on getting the job done. It's a trait that's stood us in good stead for centuries. We've relied on it to create the nation in the Revolutionary War and to save it in World War II, to build the world's most modern economy and to put the first human on the moon. If we depend on it to find a job, however, we'll likely see our hopes dashed and our dreams cancelled.

That hasn't always been the case. For most of the 20th Century, employers asked only that candidates demonstrate they could perform a job. Their recruiters would post each opening's requirements and responsibilities, and all we had to do was prove that our credentials were a match. If we met the criteria, we were, by definition, a qualified candidate -- someone who can do the work -- and more often than not, that led to a job offer.

Today, this "can do" approach to job search is the little train that can't. Global competition is now forcing employers to redefine what it means to be a qualified candidate. They can no longer get by with workers who can do the work; they need employees who will excel at it.

What does that mean for those of us in transition?

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