To me, the most important factor a person needs to be able to do a good job is experience. If you're thinking about hiring someone for a position, you have to wonder how well they can do it, do they have the expertise? If an employee has more time on the job, it stands to reason that they'll be better at their tasks than someone who's only been doing the job for a short period of time. That's why managers generally want employees who have been with them longer, they've had more opportunities to gain and refine skills. We've all had that moment of confusion when we're trying out a new task or working with a new product, and instead of being frustrated because we can't figure it out right away, we look to those around us who might be able to help. That's part of what experience does: it helps you understand how things work, and how different things are related. It helps you anticipate problems and know what solutions might work best in different circumstances. Experience is also one of those things that accumulates over time, you can't take shortcuts or substitute other factors for it. You either have it or you don't, no matter how much of an expert you think you are in another area. Experience is what helps you understand the big picture, and how different things are related. Experience makes it easier to anticipate problems and find solutions that work. But it's something that you can only earn little by little, over time.