We’ve all been there. You are looking at job postings and see one that would be perfect for you.
One problem: You don’t have five years of experience; you have two. There’s one or two skills required that you simply haven’t had the opportunity to learn. You don’t have a “deep understanding” of a particular topic but instead a general understanding.
Realizing you aren’t quite qualified you move on to the next job posting but keep thinking about the previous one.
So what do you do? Do you apply to a job you “technically” aren’t qualified for?
It’s interesting how easy we can talk ourselves out of applying to a job we aren’t 100% qualified for on paper. If a job sounds like a great fit but you are just slightly under-qualified, I think it’s a good idea to apply.
Today I share four tips for people who are applying to a job they aren’t qualified for.
1) Apply even if you don’t meet all the qualifications
When I was in college I emailed with a graduate who a professor had put me in contact with. He landed a job out of college that was asking for 10+ years of experience. He was able to get it anyway and has done well in the role. If people can get jobs that “require” 10+ years of experience when they have 0, you certainly can land a job even if you don’t meet the required years of experience the employer is asking for.
I became a senior accountant before completing a full year at an entry-level accounting job. The job I applied to was asking for 3+ years. I had proven myself capable of performing at a senior accountant level, though, so I was able to get it well before the “required” years.
Don’t let experience requirements discourage you from applying to a job you want.
2) Address shortcomings in your cover letter
Cover letters can be a huge pain if you are applying to a large number of jobs. The problem with cover letters is the more they are tailored towards the specific job you are applying for the better chance you have of getting an interview.
While they may be time-consuming, cover letters are your friend if you are applying to a job that you aren’t fully qualified for. For example, if a job requires you to have an intermediate or advanced level of a software program but you simply don’t have that skill, it can be addressed in your cover letter. Perhaps you spent more time on other software programs so there simply wasn’t time to develop your knowledge of other software programs. You can weave this into your cover letter so that when the hiring manager reads your resume they don’t toss your resume when they don’t see that specific skill listed.
Use the cover letter to your advantage and point out how your strengths, such as willingness to learn new software or put new skills into practice, override any shortcomings of your experience.
3) Realize you may have to sacrifice on pay
As I mentioned earlier, a fellow graduate at my college got a job that required 10 years of experience. He took a lower salary in order to get the job. His salary actually doubled after a year, though, once he proved that he was capable of doing the job. His responsibilities increased as well.
If you are under-qualified for a job employers may use it to pay you less, but once you gain the skills and prove yourself you can demand a higher salary. Think of it as a learning experience where you can learn hands-on through various tasks and responsibilities that will be given to you in your new job.
Worst case scenario you are paid less because of your lack of skills and experience and you are not compensated higher when you do gain those skills and experience. If that’s the case you can always look elsewhere since you now have the skills that justify higher pay.
4) Manage Expectations
This should go without saying, but you really need to manage your expectations when applying to a job where you don’t check all the boxes for the hiring manager. When it comes to jobs, just like applying to undergrad and grad school, it’s all relative. If only one person applied to a job and they were horribly under-qualified, they still might get the job because there were no alternatives for the employer. There also may be situations where many highly qualified (or even over-qualified) individuals apply and it becomes nearly impossible to get the job without having all the requirements and then some.
It’s very easy to become attached to a job you are applying to, especially if you get to the interview stage. Try to not get too excited (I know, easier said than done) until you have a job offer in hand. Realize there will always be other opportunities and avoid emotional attachment to any given job.
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Have you ever applied to a job you weren’t fully qualified for (on paper)? Any additional tips for those who are applying to jobs they aren’t fully qualified for?
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Good tips DC! I’ve applied for jobs in the past where I didn’t have everything they wanted and found that a number of times it really didn’t mean a whole lot once I got to the interview stage as I could use it as an opportunity to sell what I could bring to the table. That said, I think the managing expectations is a big one in order to keep a level head during the process.
It can’t hurt to try! Sometimes I wonder if companies exaggerate the years of experience needed so they receive less responses. Going through resumes can be tedious, and they’re filtering people out in the process.
applying for a job that you aren’t totally qualified for can be challenging. But I think if you show genuine interest and eagerness to learn during an interview, you could be just as strong of a candidate.
Nice! I have never really applied for a job that I’m not qualified for, but I would imagine these are good tips. I think that having a good personality and temperament is a great way to get your foot in the door. A lot of employers will train you if you have the right attitude.
I love this. I am always “underqualified” because my professional experience has been in theatre and believe it or not, that’s not what people are looking for ;) I use the cover letter to my advantage- it’s a chance to showcase my competence despite my lack of work history.
If you get an interview have a portfolio of your achievement s that exceeds your job duties. Share with them how you perform in a job and that applies to any position. Shows what you’re capable of and bow you’re willing to learn.
In college I applied for a job I was under-qualified for. The woman responded that she had already fulfilled the position but her husband’s office was looking for someone with my qualifications. Already given the easy-in with the reference, all I had to do was contact the other office, do an interview, and then I had a job! That job wasn’t even posted yet and I never would have gotten it if I hadn’t taken that initial risk.
FrugalRules Good point about managing expectations. It’s easy to say you are willing to do whatever it takes to complete a job, but what if there are some things that will take a few months to learn if you realistically are going to perform a job? It’s best not to over-promise in the interview stage.
JourneytoSaving I think they do exaggerate the years of experience needed. it’s best to look more at the skills and type of person they are looking for imo.
BudgetforMore Definitely! Unless you plan on doing essentially the same job in the same area you’re whole life, you will eventually have to apply to a job you aren’t fully qualified for.
Holly at ClubThrifty Good point about having the right attitude. I know some people who get flustered whenever anything new or remotely challenging is presented to them. I’d rather have someone eager to tackle the challenge versus someone who doesn’t know how to handle challenging tasks.
brokeandbeau Great example, Stefanie. I think in most cases a well-written cover letter can be much more valuable than a resume/work history. That’s assuming hiring managers read them. I’m not a hiring manager but I would definitely read the cover letter before looking at anyone’s resume.
Charles@gettingarichlife Great point, Charles. I was once told to have 5-8 “talking points” for an interview. These would consist of projects and examples of work that give me credibility and show that I’ve solved problems and performed at a high level in the past.
lintacious That’s a great story! It definitely pays off to take risks, even if you have no idea how it will pay off until after the fact.
In 2008, I wanted to leave the corporate banking world and join a hedge fund. Every recruiter told me that despite the fact that I had 7 successful years in finance, I did not meet hedge fund criteria. Because I am stubborn, I submitted to every job that looked interesting to me any way. I knew that if they took a chance on me and I got a phone interview, I could “sell myself.” Sure enough, one of those funds took a chance and I won over the managing partner when I said in the interview “I may not be have the experience as the other people you interview and I can’t guarantee you what assets I can bring in, but I can guarantee you that NO ONE will work harder than me to make your fund a success.” I got the job. :-)
Excellent list! When people aren’t qualified, it seems like they use that as an excuse to not apply… but an employer will always take the less-qualified person that is a great fit over the worse fit but better qualified person… so it always makes sense to give it a shot!
I think the big key is to manage expectations, but prepare like you are qualified for the job. You want to address shortcomings, but don’t automatically write yourself off as a candidate. You might lack formal experience they’re looking for, but if you can show them you approach your work and possible opportunities with diligence and intelligence, you never no. The worst thing that can happen is they reject you with a form letter, right? Why not go for it?
I like this! I always figured I had absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain by applying for jobs where I don’t meet all the criteria. Maybe there is something about your resume that really sparks their attention and gets you an interview.
Interesting perspective! I used to tell my students to not draw attention to what they don’t have in the cover letter. For example, instead of saying “while I don’t have advanced knowledge of HTML, I can do basic code” say, “I am proficient in HTML and eager to become more advanced” etc.
Our Fine Adventure It can be intimidating to apply to jobs that you aren’t qualified for (on paper) so I can’t blame people too much for not wanting to apply. But you’re right, if the interview goes well there’s no reason you won’t be chosen.
ImpersonalFinance I agree 100% with you. The worst thing that can happen is rejection. You really have nothing to lose when applying for jobs you aren’t qualified for.
Kyle James Definitely, if you can get to the interview stage you can gain some more perspective on whether the job is right for you and whether any shortcomings are deal-breakers. More likely than not employers seem willing to work with people if they like your attitude and you show you are willing to do what it takes to get the job done.
BudgetBlonde Great tip Cat. That’s a much better way of saying it. I think what I was thinking was that if you don’t somehow bring it up or address it – for better or for worse – they may look at your resume, not see a certain skill, and write you off.
DC @ Young Adult Money BudgetBlondeThat’s true too! Def. don’t want to get the resume thrown out!
I view an application like swinging the bat in t-ball. You can’t strike out, and every swing is a chance to do something great. There’s no reason not to grip it and rip it. Even if you whiff, you are right back where you started: at the plate with another chance, as soon as you want it.
I’d also suggest that making contact with the hiring director, via email or a phone call, is an important step that many job applicants fail to take. Writing a cover letter and sending in a resume is good and all, but that is kind of the minimum required effort. Introducing yourself via email (or in person, if possible) and checking in every week or two is key to illustrating your initiative and genuine interest in the position.
I applied for a job before that I’m under qualified luckily I got hired. I showed to my employer that I’m worthy for the job.
I still laugh at the fact that I was offered my current job two months after my first interview. TWO MONTHS. I thought I didn’t have it. And then I had it. Sometimes it takes a while.
But I could not second the time requirement or special knowledge more. I came into my first non-profit job without ANY Raiser’s Edge knowledge and have since learned it in depth because of my work experience. Learning on the job is the only way to get it. I got the first job because I knew Access and that helped me land a job where I had no experience with the actual database software we use. And since there are other non-profit donor software companies out there, I know i could get a job where a non-profit office used DonorPerfect because I learned Raiser’s Edge from the ground up.
And time requirements are often BS by the way… I love it when I see a job requiring 6 years in the non-profit fundraising sphere and then paying $35,000 a year in NYC… no one with that much experience would apply for the job with that low of pay in the first place! Plus it’s actual skills that matter, not the amount of time under your belt.
DonebyForty the only problem with contacting the hiring director, is often times in large cities, there are so many applicants that postings will actually say, DO NOT CONTACT on them. In that case, I would definitely suggest you not to contact, lest you get thrown out as an applicant. A better alternative is trying to find out if you know someone who works at the organization who can give you a recommendation for the job to the hiring manager.
Clarisse @ Make Money Your Way Good for you! Congrats!
Tara Zee DonebyForty All the job postings at the company I work for have recruiter’s assigned to the rec and if you ask for the hiring manager’s name you will not be given it.
Tara Zee Good to hear about your Access experience helping you land the job! I say that because I’ve recently been trying to learn Access. I second you on having someone read over your cover letter – so easy to miss something you wrote yourself.
These are great tips DC! The first tip is something that I feel holds A LOT of people back from getting a promotion or a new job. They basically self select themselves out of a job. By not applying even if they don’t have 100% of the qualifications they’re certain to not get that job/promotion. My wife got her first job this way. She was under qualified but when their first choice didn’t accept the role she got the job.