What if I don't meet all the requirements?
A short guide to applying for roles you might not be a 100% match for.
At a recent Job Search 101 Careers Club session with Grow Remote, conversation turned to cover letters. Specifically, I was asked if you should use cover letters to acknowledge missing skills/experiences you have for the job, pivoting attention to alternatives that lend themselves to the role:
“While I don’t have 3 years experience in Sales, I do have 4 years experience in technical support” etc. etc.
The intention behind this is logical.
Squash any concerns head on. Put your best foot forward. Call out “the elephant in the room” directly while addressing concerns by highlighting strengths of yours.
Here’s the thing though.
That perceived “elephant” that you’re calling out, might not be an elephant at all to a hiring manager or recruiter. If you bring attention to it however, it will start to look like one pretty quickly…
So does that mean you should only apply for roles you’re 100% a match for? No.
If you are interested in the role, are excited by the company and believe you have the experience and/or skills to do it well - apply.
That said, there are some tips to make sure you don’t unintentionally create an elephant for yourself and get rejected.
Let’s dive in.
Understanding your transferable skills/experiences.
Step one is understanding what elements of your experience would be great for the role. Don’t worry about the stuff you’re missing, focus on the stuff you bring.
Make a list of all the requirements listed on the posting. Try to come up with examples from your previous experience what are relevant.
From there, you should aim to craft an on-target resume that highlights these areas and your fit for the job. You can read more about on-target resumes here.
This work not only helps now but will help as you navigate through any future interviews for the role.
Don’t undermine yourself.
It’s not your job to rule yourself out of the job.
If you are missing one or two things from the list of requirements, who cares. It’s not your job to screen yourself out, especially if you think you could be great for the job.
Your job is to put your best foot forward.
Focus on the positives. Explain all the reasons you would be great at the role (through your cover letter, CV and throughout the interview process). As legendary college basketball coach John Wooden used to say:
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”
Focusing Your Cover Letter
Imagine you wanted to buy a new shirt. You went into the store and found one that looked amazing.
As you were excitedly waiting to pay, the store assistant starts listing all the reasons you shouldn’t buy it.
You were initially looking for a green shirt, but this is blue.
You were initially looking for plain shirt, this has stripes.
etc. etc. etc.
Who cares if you wanted a green or plain shirt! You found one you liked, you thought looked good and were excited to wear. That is, you were until the assistant started talking!
This is exactly what calling out reasons you’re not a fit for a job in your cover letter does. It takes away any excitement the recruiter may have about your candidacy. In a world where recruiters have hundreds of applications to scan through, this doubt makes it easier to reject your application.
Instead, focus on why your interested and excited about the role and company. What makes you a great fit for the role? Tell that story instead.
Don’t focus on the shirt being blue, focus on how good it looks on you!
Final Notes:
Some jobs will require specific technical skills (i.e engineering, nursing, construction etc.). If you don’t have those skills, no amount of preparation or CV work is going to fill those gaps. If you want to make a career change, then check out this article.
Other jobs will require a certain level of seniority. If you are looking at applying to a VP of Marketing at a Fortune 500 company and don’t have any previous marketing or leadership experience, a focused cover letter and CV is not going to get you that interview.
Studies have shown, Women tend to apply only if they are a 100% match, men tend to apply regardless. So if you do find yourself in doubt, despite matching the majority of requirements, apply anyway.
A lot of companies have started to include Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) statements on their job descriptions.
A D&I statement is an expression of a company's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and what actions or commitments the company is taking.
In the case of job applications, it specifically calls out that experience can come in many forms and even if you don’t meet all of the requirements - you should still apply!