ARE YOU UNDER-QUALIFIED? HERE'S HOW TO GET A JOB INTERVIEW
Finally, a job opening for your dream position has appeared. But despite the fact that it's right there, practically pleading with you to apply, you decide against sending in your CV. Why? You are unqualified.
You feel as though you would fall short—and into a slush pile of more-qualified applicants—whether the job posting requires years of experience you don't have or a particular ability you haven't yet perfected.
Nevertheless, submit an application. Seriously. Why? Managers frequently include everything they can think of in a job description, and occasionally they create lengthy lists of duties and requirements only to make the position appear more impressive than it actually is. The qualifications will be more flexible than you think as long as the post is not controlled by the government. The only way to find out is to still apply!
Even if you can't check off all the necessary certifications, you can still give yourself a lift and demonstrate that you are highly competent. Learn how to escape the rejection pile and land an interview from our career experts by reading on.
Never rely solely on an application
Not online applications, but networking is how most jobs are obtained. In addition to submitting your CV, use your network. Make a comparable relationship with a person who works there.
On LinkedIn, look for connections to people who work for the company you want to work for. Send a cold email to the person you want to talk to. Tell them that you applied online but would like the right people to look at your resume. And keep trying. Until you receive a response, keep sending emails to company members. Candidates with resilience and persistence are highly valued by employers.
Identify an issue you can address
Anyone looking for a job wants someone who can solve problems. In order to position yourself as a problem solver, think about updating your cover letter. How do you manage it? Include a cover letter with your resume when sending it.
Make it interesting instead of a dry, standard cover letter. Make the letter's remedy to the problem a single page long. Describe the issues you can resolve if you are employed in your cover letter. Make sure you've thought about them carefully before bringing up any problems with the job you're applying for or the company's pain points in your cover letter.
Tell them exactly how you can find their important demographic and target them to promote their products and make an impact. For example, if the company needs help with focused marketing, make your message easier to read and keep it to one page with three to five clear suggestions.
Display your special talents
Now that you've applied and built a relationship with the company, get ready to talk about how the skills and knowledge you do have will help the position, the division, and the company. In fact, you could well emphasize the qualifications they are not seeking. Being unqualified might occasionally work to your advantage.
You can stand out from the crowd by emphasizing your unique background and skill set compared to the other applicants because you don't have a lot of experience or strong beliefs about how things should be done. For instance, even if it's not in a relevant industry or if it took you longer than usual to complete, don't forget to mention your college degree. Any degree demonstrates your aptitude for developing and completing long-term goals.
Make use of keywords to your advantage
Most companies that post jobs use software to collect applications and use an algorithm to figure out which ones are most relevant to the job posting. A higher relevance score increases the likelihood that a real person will see your resume and that you will be invited for an interview. Take note of the words that stand out as being most crucial to the role in the job description to improve your relevancy score.
In particular, focus on the first three factors in the qualifications section because these are the most crucial. You can search for words that are repeated a lot. A word's importance to the position increases with the number of times it appears. Once you have a list of ten keywords, use them in your cover letter and resume, and then let the algorithm do the rest.
Get the necessary training
Lastly, if you think you need to develop certain skills to do the job well, go ahead and do so. There is no longer a reason to put off learning a skill needed for a profession thanks to resources like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. Then, on your CV, list the classes you are attending to get the necessary abilities under the education section. By putting this in your education section, you show that you are proactive and willing to get things done while also being honest about the fact that you don't have the right skills right now.
By the time you land the interview, your course will probably be finished, and you can tell them that you took it particularly for the position. Even if you don't obtain the job, you still gained knowledge that will aid you in moving on with your job search.
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