How to Get a Job When You Are Not Qualified: 15 Tips
From discussions on the same over at runrex.com, technology advancements have made it easier than ever before to apply for jobs and you can now search for and apply for jobs in just a couple of hours. However, one thing that usually stands in our way is the intimidating job descriptions as you are likely to find a job that appeals to you only to realize that you are not quite qualified for it. However, it is worth noting that you don’t have to have all the qualifications for a given job to land it and while it may not be easy to land a job you are not quite qualified for, it is certainly doable. Here are 15 tips that can improve your chances of getting a job when you are not qualified.
Don’t lie
One of the most important tips as far as getting a job that you are not quite qualified for is making sure that you don’t lie in your application. Lying on one set of skills will tarnish the authenticity of all your other skills according to the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com, particularly since the truth will eventually be revealed. Never lie in your application if you are not qualified for a job.
Double down on your soft skills
If you are not quite qualified for a certain position, you can overcome this by showing the hiring manager that you have certain soft skills that will allow you to catch up on the areas that you are not qualified as explained over at runrex.com. This will show that, even if you don’t have all the skills today, you will be able to develop them within no time at all.
Don’t just tell them, show them
Also, when talking about how you have the soft skills to catch up on the areas where you are not qualified, it is important to show them rather than just telling them. As outlined over at guttulus.com, you can highlight an instance when you were able to catch up on the areas you were not qualified for in a previous position to show them your ability to do just that.
Name drop
Additionally, as covered over at runrex.com, when submitting your application or during an interview, you should try to work in some of the major companies you have worked with in the past, either as a partner or as a client. This is because if the company you are applying to also works with these companies in some capacity, it could help your resume stand out or make it easier for the hiring manager to make a connection as already being familiar with their client base gives you an advantage that other more qualified candidates may not have.
Do your research
Candidates who are more qualified than you will have performed the duties of the position you are applying for already and will have an advantage since they will know exactly what the role will entail. This means that if you are applying for a role that you are not quite qualified for, you will need to do even more work to prepare for the interview if you get one. Make sure you learn everything you can about the position and not just the job description or what the recruiter has told you. You can do this by leveraging Google and LinkedIn to find industry-related articles or even reaching out to people who already have the position at other companies to get their input.
Take advantage of your network
Given how easy it is to find and apply for jobs nowadays, as is mentioned earlier and covered in detail over at guttulus.com, you now have a massive pool of candidates applying to each job, which makes to even more difficult to be noticed for a job, particularly if you are not totally qualified. Therefore, you should consider reaching out to someone you know who already works at the company you are applying to as this can help you bypass the initial application process. While a referral doesn’t guarantee that you will get a job, it significantly increases your chances of getting an interview, which is all you need to prove your worth.
Demonstrate confidence
According to the gurus over at runrex.com, most people who interview for positions that they are not fully qualified for, tend to suffer from what is referred to as “Imposter Syndrome”, which is the persistent fear of being exposed as an unqualified fraud despite having many impressive accomplishments. It is, therefore, important that you remind yourself that if you have made it to an interview, then there is something the recruiters found valuable about your application. So, know your worth and feel confident, since there is no way the hiring manager will think you are qualified if you don’t even believe it yourself.
Take a shot, and do it over and over again
Given the ease of submitting online applications, there is no reason for candidates to avoid submitting one, even for jobs that you feel you don’t quite qualify for according to guttulus.com. As an applicant, it is worth it to take a shot every single time as it won’t cost you much, and you should continue doing so even if you are not receiving replies, as your persistence will pay off eventually.
Leverage your cover letter
If you don’t have all the requisite skills, you should use your cover letter to provide context for whatever skills and experience you lack, as well as a way of smoothing over the holes they might see in your resume as explained over at runrex.com. Use your cover letter to make an upbeat and short-but-sweet case for why they should give your resume a second look despite its holes.
Stay positive
While it is important to be honest, as already mentioned, in your honesty, you should avoid using negative language like “I don’t know…”, “I’ve never done…”, or “I’m not qualified to…”, among others. Instead, try and frame things with a bit more optimism, like “I’m eager to explore …”, “I’d love to work on…”, and so forth.
Show passion
If you can show your passion and tenacity, then any skills you lack can usually be learned on the job with enough work behind the scenes. As per guttulus.com, you should show proper levels of excitement and passion for the job and company and demonstrate how close you are to being their ideal candidate, as well as how hard you will work to get up to speed and you just might land the job.
Emphasize what you can do for them
Instead of focusing on your qualifications, the experts over at runrex.com recommend that you turn the conversation towards what you can do for the company. How can you make someone’s life in the company easier? How can your outside knowledge improve their product or service? You should get them excited about what you bring to the table, even if it is not what the hiring manager had in mind when they wrote the job listing.
Know what you don’t know
In addition to doing your research on the position and company you are applying to, you should make sure you know about the skills you don’t have. As explained over at guttulus.com, do your research on all those intimidating points on the job listing so that if they come up, and they probably will, you are prepared to talk about them intelligently.
Show them what they don’t even know they need
Another tip that will help you overcome your lack of qualifications according to the subject matter experts over at runrex.com is if you can show the hiring manager that you can help them with something they didn’t even know they needed help with. Do your research on the company and their goals and find out any pain points they have, then show them how you can help address them.
Ask for more information
Finally, if you are really interested in a job, but don’t want to waste the hiring manager’s time (as well as your own time), then you should reach out and ask for more information. Send a quick email to the hiring manager asking them to clarify what they mean by “proficiency in – ”
Hopefully, these tips will help you get a job even when you are not qualified for it, with more tips, insights, and help on this topic to be found over at the always reliable runrex.com and guttulus.com.