Lockjaw

And actually get it and if so how is it working out for you?

I ask because I'm job hunting the other day and I stumble across a choice job.
Great pay,job security(working for the city),good benefits plenty of days off.

I meet almost all the qualifications except for like one or two so I'm really tempted but being the fatalist I am what the heck am I going to do if I get the job and the one part that I'm not qualified for comes up.

ShaniFaye

yep, the job I have now.....the main part of the job is designing in autocad....I always wanted to learn autocad but had never ever touched it in my life.

I applied for the job and my knowledge and quick learning of so many other programs (not in the same class of autocad) amazed them and I got hired for it.

4 years later I still have that job.

Never be afraid, the worst they can do is not hire you, but at least you tried

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

maleficent

This is where a cover letter comes into play, don't necessarily point out that you don't have one of their requirements, but you can play up your other strengths.

If you were to be offered the job, would you be able to learn what they needed quickly?

Whatever you do, don't fake that you something when you don't. If they are looking for a software application that you haven't heard of... google the heck out of it -- find out what it does, and if you can apply any of your basic skill set to it...

Oh, and also -- don't mention to them that one of the plusses to the job is lots of days off

No job out there, is any one person 100 percent qualified for... companies usually hire close enough, and expect to train a person in some areas. Stand up straight, head back, and have some confidence that you do have the skills to get the job done.

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skysooner

Remember that not all of the job requirements that they list are deal breakers. It is extremely hard to find good employees these days. If you strike them as a person that would be with them and would put out good effort, they would more than likely be willing to train you. That being said, jobs with governments can be more difficult. It is almost easier to get a job in the private sector as they may or may not be beholden to union rules and such like certain city jobs might.

I tried applying for jobs for which I was technically qualified but might not have had as many years of experience for. I have received interviews from these jobs but never took any of them as I either had something better already or it just wasn't right at the time.

As in all things in life, nothing ventured nothing gained.

StanT

I do technical interviews for openings in my department. Our list of job requirements is more of a "wish list" , than anything else. We look for good technical skills and an excellent work ethic. Nearly all specific skills are negotiable. Convince me that you have similar skills, that you can learn fast, & that you don't mind working hard and I'll give you a chance.

Lockjaw

It's a network analyst position. From the sound of the ad they want somebody that can do the typical network admin stuff(fix hardware here, setup a router there so on and so forth) but they also mention programming. I have everything but the programing but I am learning it. Hmmm oh well application was submitted first thing this morning I'll officially be the luckiest guy in the world if I get this though.

nowthen

remember employers adverts are basically wish lists - like a kid at christmas, they list everything they could possibly want, but a lot of the people they will see will only have a portion of the full requirements. plus, especially in smaller companies, it can come down to personality and aptitude more than actual qualifications.

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"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them."

George Bernard Shaw

thinktank

I've never interviewed for a job that i didnt have offered to me, if there is any secret, it's just being bold and in people's faces. Drop off that resume with a fuckall attitude, refuse to give it to anyone but the person who will be hiring you, call them frequently, and force them to pay attention to you. Brutal honesty, friend.

Stompy

Looking back on it, when I first started programming as a job, I didn't know SHIT.

I knew "textboox" programming, which is basically equivalent to going through a "Teach yourself [whatever] in 24 hours" type of thing - that's how much experience I had.

Over time, I learned and adapted to what I had to do. 8 years later, still a programmer, and I'm damn good at it.

A lot of people apply to jobs (and get hired!) they aren't qualified for, especially management or higher-up type positions. We had a COO here for a while who was pretty worthless and didn't do a single thing - he just had the ability to sell himself well, and made a pretty penny doing so. I think some people are just good bullshitters, and ultimately when they get hired, they don't know dick.

I see it all the time, and I seriously believe that's how most of the corporate world works.

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I love lamp.

f6twister

I barely had any training in my current job when I applied. There was one person who had 12 years of experience who applied also but since she didn't want her current employer contacted, they washed her out. I was next on the list. Six and a half years later, I'm still working there and train all of the new hires.

Go for it. How else are you going to get experience if you don't do the job?

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A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin

snowy

The last job I had I didn't have as much of the training in certain areas as they would have liked (I was a line cook with more experience working with cold food as I'd worked in a deli before) but I survived. I really enjoyed the job, became good at it, and left with a good reputation.

My mother always said you've got to shoot for the stars and go after what you want. I figured it applied even if I wasn't the most qualified person for the job--and played up my other strengths when I interviewed.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

kel

Of course! Those are the only ones I CAN apply to.

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"It better be funny"

Cycler

I applied for a job at IDEO http://www.ideo.com/ (Cool company) as a technical researcher. I have a psych. degree and a masters in counsleing but never heard back from them oh well at least I tried.

Working in an education situation and enjoying it.

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"I'm not even supposed to be here today."

"I assure you we're open."

clavus

I talked my way into a job that I really had no business even TRYING to land. Got it. Ten years later, I still have it.

I would hire somebody right now if I thought that they could learn the job. I just got rid of aguy who had something like 20 years of experience. In fact, I think I'd rather get someone with very little experience and train them to do it my way.

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Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

MSD

When running from a bear, you don't have to be an olympic athlete, you just have to run faster than the guy you shared a tent with.

When applying for a job, you don't have to meet all of the criteria, you just have to do better than the other applicants. The resume is your running skill and the interview is the sprint toward the car*.



*edit: assume, for the sake of argument, that there is one less bear than there are people

Suave

Most of my jobs I've been only kind of qualified for. I normally try to fake it through the first couple weeks and learn as fast as I can. There have been times that I was so bad during the interview/testing session that they didn't even interview me though.

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"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato

absorbentishe

I'm doing that now, well except actually getting a job. Every job I send resumes to, are close in match (in my eyes), but I'm getting only a few interviews. I'm actually going on a second/third interview monday morning, for a job that my qualifications for were no where close, but he liked me.

Leo

I have an HR friend who could talk his way into anything - about two years ago he landed an intermediate level marketing job with no prior experience and no qualifications! Some HR folks like to say if you've got around 75% of what they're looking for, go for it. You might even get by with less if you present and speak well, and, probably more importantly, have the key personal qualities they're looking for. It's pretty rare that candidates have 100% of the skills they're looking for anyway.

zen_tom

I only started working in satisfying jobs after I began stretching myself - this should be the one piece of advice that career advisors give - Always apply above your percieved ability/experience, and you will realise why some people are happy in their careers.

Squishor

That's the only kind of job I ever have applied for! And I've done well in just about every position I've ever been in, although I've been smart enough to avoid jobs that require something that's within one of my glaring areas of shortcoming (like Soccer Coach, Neurosurgeon, etc.). Take all this good advice here in this thread and go for it. Worst case scenario, you don't end up with the job and have to keep trying.

^Hilarious and right on the mark!

Jesus Pimp

Anyone have advice on writing kick ass cover letters i.e. format, flow etc..? Samples would be much appreciated also.

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Never date anyone who doesn't make your dick hard.

Cynthetiq

I always look for what skills I am going to learn while at a job.

It's so important to me that I always apply for jobs that I'm not a shoe in for. I prefer a job that will challenge me from my comfort zone to learn something new and to apply the things I do know.

This also helps plot a career path for me easily without being so far into the future that it's something to just not plan for. I think of each job that I go to as a potential for the NEXT job that I'm going to apply...

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