Applying for a job where you don’t exactly meet the requirements is always going to be challenging. After all, there is only a limited amount of rewording and rearranging that you can do to show that you should be considered as a potential candidate despite your apparent shortfall in required credentials. But on a lot of occasions job seekers are convinced that they could do a great job if only they were given the chance to prove themselves though employers are probably, in a lot of cases, not willing to take a chance when other candidates are fully qualified.
But there is an easy trick to help prevent an immediate rejection most of the time, giving you the opportunity to at least progress a bit further into the hiring process. This trick involves timing. If you come across a position that you really want but feel that you are slightly under-qualified on paper, just wait and don’t be among the first applicants to apply for the position. If possible, wait a few days or depending on the seniority of the role a couple of weeks after the posting before sending in your resume to tip the odds in your favor.
Give the employer or recruitment consultant time to interview a few candidates and take a chance that the hiring manager or consultant won’t find anyone they like yet or needs someone else to add into the mix. Once several, otherwise qualified, people have been eliminated from, there is an increased chance that your resume will be looked on more favorably and you will be given a chance to prove yourself. The more desperate an employer becomes, the more likely they will be willing to take a gamble.
You’ve probably recognised by now that this is a risky business – a risk that you will apply too late, a risk that the employer or recruitment consultant will find a qualified candidate to fill the position. But as you already know that you are not fully qualified, it makes sense that if you are one of the first applicants you are probably going to be passed over straight away for more attractive candidates. By being a little patient and waiting a while before applying you avoid direct competition with the initial collection of stronger resumes and presenting yourself to an employer or recruitment consultant that is growing more desperate to fill the position. Given these factors, by demonstrating your enthusiasm, eagerness to grow and learn, and willingness to work with the employer you can work to compensate for your lack of experience or direct skills and end up looking like a much more attractive candidate.
Best of luck!
