After hours of searching online, you’ve finally spotted it: The perfect job. It’s so right for you, you’re already planning where you’ll eat lunch with your new coworkers. Then you get to the last few bullet points of the job description and—oh no!—you realize you don’t meet all of the job qualifications. Drat!
But don’t give up on it just yet!
Although a Harvard Business Review study found that 46.4% of men and 40.6% of women didn’t apply to jobs because they didn’t think they had the qualifications to get hired, the truth is, that’s often a false perception. You can land the job even if you’re not 100% qualified.
“Remember, they are job qualifications, not always job requirements,” says Tallia Deljou, co-founder and president of New Orleans-based professional development company of Mavenly + Co. Hiring managers aren’t expecting a candidate to meet all of the qualifications, says Deljou, so you shouldn’t expect yourself to either.
“Keep in mind that so much happens during the hiring process that sheds light on other qualifications you have,” Deljou says, “so show them what they’re missing, and explain why you are the best fit for the job.
If you managed to score an interview, chances are the recruiter and hiring managers know you’re missing one or two qualifications, but they saw something special in your resume and want you to wow them. Follow these steps to use your in-person powers of persuasion to convince the hiring manager that you can do the job and do it well.
Read the rest of my article on Monster.
