I read an article by the Harvard Business Review recently called You Don’t Need to Meet Every Qualification to Apply for a Job by Art Markman and was intrigued and a little annoyed by the topic. Mostly, I was annoyed because it’s true. Finding work is hard enough without us standing in the way of ourselves.
People don’t apply for jobs because of all sorts of reasons. They think they don’t have enough experience or the right education. They may have had spotty tenure at their recent roles due to the pandemic or a decline in their industry. Some may think they’re too young or too old. A word to the wise, though—selling yourself short is never a good reason to miss an opportunity.
In recruiting, I have learned many things, and frankly, this is one of the biggest. It is often surprising what gets someone hired. Sometimes it is having all the boxes checked. Sometimes it is personality and what energy someone brings to the interview. Sometimes it is life experience and wisdom that has come with seeing various scenarios play out. Any number of things can play into why someone ends up being the right hire. I’ve even seen job descriptions change because the hiring manager thought they wanted one thing, but when it came to sitting across from the right person, they realized they had the wrong job description.
The job hunting/dating process is intricate and full of details that may seem small but end up being big or seem big and end up being small. Either way, don’t sell yourself short. If you’re the right person for the job, then your experience and qualifications will line up. Fight for yourself and your hard work. And hey, what’s the worst that can happen?
