Submit Your Application, Even if You Don’t Meet All the Requirements

Applying for a job isn’t an easy task. It can be frustrating to come across a job vacancy that you like, only to find out that you don’t exactly meet the requirements.

It is especially discouraging for fresh graduates and early-career professionals who usually encounter “x years of experience” on many job posts.

But do you really have to be a 100% match? Ideally, yes. But for many jobs, finding an exact match is a stretch. Some jobs can be too specialized that mixing a basic requirement with many other specialized skills could mean never finding a candidate with great potential.

So if you find a job you like but don’t completely meet the requirements, go ahead and apply. Here are the top reasons why.

You Can Learn Some Tasks On the Job

The reason why many job vacancies require a minimum number of years is because experience allows one to learn things schools can’t teach.

But you can also learn these things on the job.

While there may be minimum requirements for you to be considered for the role, expressing interest in developing your skill set through the job might sound encouraging to the hiring manager. After all, most employees who get to upskill in their role tend to be more satisfied, contribute more, and become loyal to their organization.

You Already Know the Basics

As mentioned earlier, a hiring manager might be able to consider you if you meet the basic job requirements. So if you do, make sure to highlight these on your resume.

How? Use the same or similar keywords you found in the job post.

Make sure you give short summaries that further show how these experiences match the basic requirements. Also, offer something for them to think about, like a portfolio that further demonstrates your level of expertise.

You Have the Potential to Grow

Do you have any past experience that proves your resourcefulness, creativity, leadership, adaptability, and many other positive qualities?

Sharing projects that showcase these and other special skills might be a good idea if you don’t meet the requirements for the job.

The purpose of sharing these past experiences is to show the employer that you have the ability to deliver positive results and learn along the way.

Everybody encounters a new challenge from time to time, and employers would be happy to know that you have the capacity to rise and help when necessary.

You Have Transferable Skills

Do you have skills that were not mentioned in the job post, but you think would be very useful for the role? Do you think having these skills would add value to the role and to the team?

If so, then make sure you mention them in your resume!

A skill not mentioned in the job description could be what you need to compensate for the lack of other skills. Mentioning a skill that is rare in the industry you are looking to penetrate might just help you land a job faster.

Some rare skills can significantly impact a company’s productivity and in turn, income. They can also help create a more professionally diverse team, which is beneficial to the employer and to you as a newcomer as well.

Recruiters Don’t Always Expect Candidates to Fully Meet the Requirements

Many job listings include not only the necessary technical skills but also a few extra that would be beneficial to the hiring manager or team. These extras are sometimes under the title “good to have,” but in other job posts, they’re all listed in one cluster, making for a very intimidating job description.

This helps the hiring manager filter out lesser qualified candidates, but oftentimes, it is also the reason why they lose candidates with great potential.

However, recruiters also know that great candidates will not always be able to check all the boxes. So if you don’t completely meet the requirements but are confident that you can do the job, it’s definitely worth applying for.

Don’t Meet the Requirements? Write a Cover Letter

If you don’t completely meet the requirements for the job you’re eyeing, but know within you that you are right for the role, there’s no harm in sending an application.

When you do, make sure you send a cover letter explaining why you are fit for the job.

This will help the hiring manager determine if they’d like to know you more and invite you for an assessment or an interview, which would be another chance for you to put the spotlight on your best assets.

Let The Company Decide if They Want to Grow with You

If it’s your dream job, it’s always worth a shot—even if you don’t meet all the requirements. Let that be a decision for the hiring manager to make.

If you don’t feel confident about your lack of experience, you’d be surprised how many hiring managers are willing to hire personality over experience. Why?

Aside from the fact that some great candidates just need a chance to excel, the right personality can help enhance teamwork and output. Oftentimes, this benefit can extend up to the end customer, who would then bring the benefit back to the company in the form of business or good word of mouth.

So if you don’t meet the requirements, give the hiring manager a chance to say no, before you cross that dream job out.

Find Your Match Through A Reputable Recruiter

Tired of bots reading your applications? Spending too much time on job searching? It might be time to work with a recruitment agency.

When you submit your application to a reliable recruitment agency like Ad Culture, your profile will be carefully read and assessed by expert recruiters who can help pair you up with the right employer.

Beyond job requirements, we recognize talent, skills, personality, and potential. If there’s an opportunity within our network that matches you, we’ll connect you to a potential employer. We make the extra effort to ensure compatibility so that you end up in a role and place where you’ll grow and love to work.

Leave your resume with us. Our clients are always looking for unicorns—and you might just become their next great hire!