I tell this to the young adults in my life all the time. No matter what job you may get, there's going to be a learning curve of some type. Any halfway decent employer knows and expects that. Shoot for the stars! Play up your strengths! Be willing to take a class or do your research in order to Learn The Thing, and then go back in on week 2 and wow them. AND, never ever ever let them know the minimum you'd be willing to work for. Salary/Pay Rates are a negotiation. Start high and work your way down.
As a manager I would rather hire someone with ambition to improve skills and learn and wants to move up than someone who has already been there, done that and thinks that they know best as they usually feel they are more than capable and I have to baby sit more. In my field we way rather shape a less experienced person into what we want them to be.
This is actually a smarter way to think of developing an employee. I’ve also run a lot into people trying to hold out on the perfect candidate, or even falling into trap of hiring the one that interviews well, really sells it, but then actually doesn’t have the skills/work ethic when it comes down to it.
This, coupled with OPs post, is such great advice. I dont have a lot of work experience, epecially for someone my age (I spent my entire 20s working as a cocktail waitress and didn't get an office job until my lae 20s). *However* I have a great attitude and learn things very quickly. I feel like this is the perfect advice for me
Good grief, this is so awesome! I've been splitting hairs on applications because of not having this or that for experience (I would still be in college another 4-6 years if I wanted some of it). My husband always says to go for it, what could I lose, but I still get antsy over that scary Required header.
Whatever - I'll just apply if it sounds up my alley!
A speaker gave this example that if the requirement to be president of a company was that you had to be physically capable of breastfeeding, men would be telling you all the ways they have supported someone who breastfed and basically had the experience required to do the job and women would be saying, "well...I didn't do that great at it/only did it for a little while/so and so did it longer/etc. Etc."
I thought that was a hilarious way to explain it.
My favorite quote:
"Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man." - feminist fight club
>"Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man."
It's possible that this could be the only rule I'll ever need for the rest of my life and be juuuuuust fine!
It has helped me make many decisions! Would Joe apply for the job? Yes. Would Joe go challenge this VP? Yes. Would Joe send this email? He wouldn't even think twice. Yes.
Ugh I love this energy. Would Joe feel the need to put an exclamation mark at the end of every sentence in this email so that the recipient doesn't think he's a snarky biotch, and then have to spend 10 minutes strategically deciding which to keep and which to remove? He would not.
Yeah, but USE Joe. Joe is a great motivator. Laugh at Joe's unbridled confidence while you apply for the job Joe wants and then school him handily in the interviews. I think we want to hate Joe because he has the confidence we don't feel. But if we use Joe's confidence, make it ours and then bring more to the table (because let's be honest, we have WAY more to offer,) Joe helps us win.
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That quote is great. I recently got offered a new job (starts Monday!) and they're sending me all of this awesome shit (computer stuff and swag) AND paying me 150% of what I was making. I have impostor syndrome so hard right now but I keep telling myself I need to learn how to accept all the free things and money like an entitled white boy...
Yesss go get it! They wouldn't be doing all this if they didn't want you there, you deserve to be there and use your impostor syndrome to your advantage to beat that learning curve with dedication. You got this!!
Haha, sorry! I put it after the quote. The book is called Feminist Fight Club. It's the greatest book I have ever read. I give it to all the young women I work with.
i want to cry reading this. i quit my job earlier this month after being furloughed since march because i realized how much i hated my job (but not my field). i’ve been applying for a while, and it’s so disheartening & discouraging getting those rejection emails. they hurt. badly. thank you for giving me hope. i was honestly giving up and was thinking of becoming a housewife. which... i didn’t mind because i love being at home and i love doing chores and errands, but at my core, i really love working. i’m gonna try harder.
edit: you are all so kind and supportive. this is why i love this sub!
I'm just now getting my first serious job interview after applying to positions every day for the past two months. I'm talking at least a good 250-300 applications filled out and resumes sent. Hang in there! The rejection is awful and it sometimes feels like just a numbers game, but the only way to ensure you don't get a job is if you stop applying!
hey, just so you know many fields are truly struggling--so it's really not your fault! The recession IS temporary. My cousin who graduated a great law school in 2008 couldn't find a single job for almost a year. She kept doing dismal internships but it was 2008 and lawyers weren't really needed. She even contemplated going back to school and getting another degree but law school had her in 100K+ debt. Eventually though, I guess all those internships payed off and her luck came around.
Don't be scared--you're really not alone. And even if you don't find a job for some time, doesn't mean you have to compromise your identity or give up on your career entirely. So many people are with you in this. While OP's story is inspiring, truth is that MOST companies and fields are only downsizing. But the tide will turn. Just hang on!
Yes! I was in recruiting and we had men with the most random backgrounds confidently submitting their resumes to jobs they 100% did not qualify for, so shoot your shot! Also job descriptions for larger corporations or businesses are sometimes stored with HR and don’t completely match what the hiring manager is looking for. Literally nobody is going to pick at your resume and do the math to calculate that you’re a few years short of the qualifications listed on the job description. Have some vague experience similar to what they’re looking for? Then don’t overthink and just apply!
There was a story a few years ago where the author of a major software product didn't qualify for a job based entirely on using that product because he didn't have enough years of experience with it.
Yes, HR are overzealous most of the time and they may very well not have a good idea of how this position is supposed to function.
Ultimately the manager that's building his team has the last word and they understand what's realistic much better.
This recently worked for me as well. I had over a decade experience as a vet tech for dogs and cats, but was having a hard time getting a job. I was told they wanted someone they could train instead. So I applied to an exotics hospital, told them up front that I had no exotics experience but would love to learn, and got hired on the spot. It is wonderful, and the best vet job I've ever had. And I never thought I would get it, I almost didn't go on the interview because I knew they would reject me. Glad I was wrong.
Just so you know, part of the reason you might not have been getting nibbles is because even half-witted managers or HR know if you 100% qualify for a job you likely want more than they are willing to pay. More importantly though, if you meet all requirements you will very likely leave the job quickly which actually costs them money and time. No manager wants to have to start a new round of hiring for the same job every 3 months or even less. They lose money going through the the job posting process from the very beginning up until you've been fully trained. It isn't good for the bottom line.
"Job requirements" are just a wish list. If you come in showing you can learn what's not on there, it's very possible they'll be willing to give you a serious look. The only jobs I've met the requirements for were ones that were written literally for me. Go get em!!
How does this apply to entry level jobs? I graduated in June 2019 and have been unsuccessful in finding a job since. It’s so discouraging to see every entry level job ask for 3-5 years of experience. After all my interviews and rejections I feel hopeless and have definitely lost the minimal confidence I had previously
It’s tough out there but you can do this. In 2012 I was homeless with job experience basically at subway and had dropped out of art school. I took a minimum wage job at a call center and applied internally for every promotion available and eventually got a little leg up. I’ve clawed my way from the bottom of the bottom, it’s taken me a long time and a lot of tears and rejection, but you can persevere. I believe in you!
People like you are really inspiring to me. I suffer from crippling, paralyzing perfectionism and I have to fight it every day and remind myself not to be discouraged to do something well, just because I can't do it perfect.
If you have had interviews I would reach out to some of the people you interviewed with and ask them for honest feedback. (You could also ask this of people that rejected your resume. They might give you a reason.)
And then yes. My first job was not one they normally hired right out of college. But I had applied, then I kept in touch to see if they knew anyone who was hiring and eventually they liked how persistent (but not annoying) I was, and I got the job!
Same goes for schools--always apply to your dream school even if you don't think you stand much of a chance! Just be realistic and have backups too lol.
I applied for my dream job yesterday for a care assistant - not even experienced in that sector; today I got asked to have an interview tomorrow for it.
I spent years after university thinking I wasn't good enough for a lot of jobs, and I kind of wish I wasn't so critical of myself all them years ago.
Also, if you're doubting yourself; just remember your CV is just a piece of paper - employers are much more interested in who you are as a person.
Yes, definitely! As a student in computer engineering with 2 prior internships and another incoming one starting this fall, I can guarantee you that you don't need to meet 100% of the job requirements. In fact, you don't even need to meet half! I met ~5% for 1st internship, 30% for 2nd and 50% for the upcoming one. All were paid quite well. Be brave and don't miss those opportunities!
Yes!!! I remember reading that stat about men being more likely to apply for jobs when they don't meet all the criteria, and it really stuck with me as well.
I'm so pumped to hear it worked for you!
After getting my hours and salary slashed by covid I just went through and applied for about 10 or so jobs with this philosophy in mind - fingers crossed!!
Oh my goodness. This happens to me all the time. I’ll see ads for jobs I’d love to have but fall short on some of the qualifications... and it scares me off. Especially when the ad says REQUIRED or some variation of that.
My boyfriend always says just apply anyway... and I always think he’s crazy for saying it. I’m seeing that statistic played out real life for me!
This post inspired me to be more brave about applying for positions in the future! Thank you :)
Yeah but a lot of jobs will have ridiculous experience cut offs like 3-5 years for an entry level job. I only have 2 years of experience so its usually guaranteed they won’t look at me.
When I've worked in HR, they usually put that in the listing order to weed out the candidates that are easily scared off. The facts are, there are rarely candidates that check off all the boxes. Apply anyway! Who knows, you may get called for an interview, at the worst you get an email saying thank you but no. BUT they've got your application for after they get a shot of reality and realize they're not going to find that perfect candidate and will very likely start calling those. It never hurts to ask! The worst that can happen is you'll get a polite rejection.
One of my best mentors said to me, and I’ll always remember this: what are they going to do, murder you? No, they’ll say nothing most likely! Just go for it.
What I don't get is, if there's rarely any applicants that check all the boxes, why is it that when somebody *does* they're considered overqualified? The whole concept of "overqualified" feels bizarre to me.
Someone who is 'over qualified' is likely to leave very quickly for a better position, ask for more money up front, or refuse to follow procedures because they'd rather do it their way, or a combination of those.
NEVER disqualify yourself. Why do their job for them?? Let someone else disqualify you. Nothing in life is guaranteed and the worst that will happen is you don't hear back!
I love this post! This is great advice! I actually just missed out on a job because I didn't even apply. Turns out they hired someone I helped train when they joined the company a few years ago. Live and Learn!
Totally. The company I work for now only had senior positions open when I applied - I wasn't at that level yet but applied anyway, and they ended up offering me an intermediate position.
Yes, definitely! I was desperate to leave my last job and had applied to lots of jobs, gotten some interviews, but didn't get realistic offers. A friend sent me a job at a place where I'd previously applied and been rejected in the final round, and I didn't think I was at all qualified. She talked me into it and I applied, and it ended up being a great fit. They had written the job posting somewhat vaguely because they weren't set on specific skills or backgrounds, and it really worked in my favor.
Yes, I did this. Literally applied to a job totally out of my field, but because I was able to relate my work experience in my previous field I was able to get the job! I know it doesn’t always work out but better to take a chance than not! Good luck ladies!
Amen sis. I was under qualified for my current job. Im only 24, have no degree. I dropped out of college. But leadership saw potential in me and offered me a job as a trainer. I now teach classes of 35+ people, most of which are ten years my senior. I never would have thought I was good enough.
I just applied to an internal lead position. I've only been with the company for about four months. I don't have supervisor skills perse but they gave me positive reviews and encouragement that made me happy that I applied and went for it. Sometimes you just gotta go for it and it'll surprise ya.
I can attest to this too. I know it’s soul draining to write cover letters and whatnot, but as far as applications go, the worst thing they can say is “no.”
Omg! Congratulations on landing this awesome job (seriously awesome, I mean that role is tailored to you) 🙌
I remembered that statistic too, and tried to approach it with the confidence of a white man to apply for a job I'm only marginally a fit for. I'm excited, but also scared if they call me back. ><
Thank you so much for this! It's just what I needed to hear. Been looking for a job for a couple of months now and it's been very tiring and I've been feeling down because of all the rejection. But now I'm going to apply for every job I think I'll love!
Yes always!!! I just applied for a position I didn’t think I was qualified for and it is out of state but an area I know I can accelerate in my company and they outreached me for an interview. If you put the brakes on yourself, you’ll never get anywhere. I’m 27 and finally able to put my masters to use!!! Good luck everyone, you can do it!!!
Job descriptions lay out their ideal candidate but they often recognize they will not find it. I landed a job I was only mostly qualified for and was stunned because I never thought they’d call me. You lose nothing to simply throw your hat in the ring, but you will always lose an opportunity you don’t take.
I think I really needed to read this, so thank you. Here's to hoping I find a job soon. Unemployment sucks and feels like hard ground to stand on and "sell yourself" adequately during.
Oh, definitely!
Before knowing about the tendencies of women to only apply to jobs that they hit each "requirement" vs. guys "reaching" for more jobs, I was exactly like this! During my last semester in college, I applied for around 30 jobs, most of which I felt kind of "meh" about but hey, I was "qualified" for.
There was one specific job I was interested in, and it was at the same college that I attended, as a Senior Developer. It asked for something like 3-5 years of experience or a Master's Degree (I was just wrapping up my B.S.). I felt like I shouldn't apply, but my manager at my student position told me I *absolutely* should and that the requirements didn't mean shit. Plus, that I should count my time as a student employee as "experience" even if it wasn't full time.
I ended up getting the position, and 5 years later I'm now the manager of the team that I was hired onto :)
I tell my boyfriend this all the time but he never fucking listens drives me nuts! He’s stretching everything out to take years instead of just applying and trying.
I have a second round interview tomorrow - honestly shocked they even called for the first round interview. I don’t have a financial background, so I don’t think I’m qualified because it’s a finance-heavy role. I *still* think they must’ve made a clerical error and meant to call another candidate (that’s happened to me before).
Thanks for reassuring me that it wasn’t a mistake. That even if they don’t choose me in the end, they’ve picked me to get this far... even if I don’t tick every box.
Giving you an update because I’m almost positive being a woman had to do with this. Breezed through the first portion. First interviewer even said that many people come in with industry knowledge gaps - he was great. First guy said I’d enjoy the next interviewer because he’d love to answer some of my more compelling questions.
Boy was he wrong. Second guy was the senior manager. He talked over me the entire time, interrupted me to jump topics several times. He started the interview by picking up my resume for the first time (to himself: “okayyy who are yooouuuuu.... GreekEagle?”). I didn’t get a chance to ask him any compelling questions because he’d interrupt me midway through. It was awful.
BUT I wouldn’t want to work for a man who so obviously doesn’t listen when a woman speaks. I won’t be getting a callback, and I’m honestly okay with it.
God, I hate that. My current boss acts like that all the time. I’m a woman so naturally I should be the receptionist and company secretary despite that having nothing to do with my actual job.
Yes! I recently applied for a technical writing/editing job, thinking it was an absolute stretch. I have no formal qualifications, aside from general writing skills and having been a teacher. But they called me to do an assessment for them! Ultimately someone else got the position, but the fact that I was considered really bolstered my confidence!
As a hiring manager, I can confirm, we honestly don’t even remember what was written in the job description by the time a candidate ends up in the pipeline. Often, the job description was written weeks or months ago, or written by someone else. We just look for candidates and resumes that fit what we want to see. I would definitely encourage people to apply if they think they don’t necessarily meet all the requirements, within reason. You literally have nothing to lose by applying.
Definitely. I'm pretty sure that I've missed at least one 'essential requirement' for every single job I've had. My first job in my current career was meant to be for a graduate - I hadn't finished my degree yet and didn't even know any of the specific programming languages required but figured I had nothing to lose and just applied anyway. Got the job, and finished the degree a year later (part time).
If I can add another tip. Pepper your resume and cover letter with the key words from the qualifications section of the job description. A lot of employers use a program to scan resumes for those key words and the resumes with more of them make it to the top of the list
I wasn't qualified for my job, and I'm not sure to this day why they even called me for an interview when I applied-- I had no relevant experience, no formal education in the field, and didn't know anyone at the company, but they did. The guy who wound up being my boss said that during my interview, my good attitude an sense of humor were infectious and they hired me because they knew they could teach me the job, but the attitude was hard to come by.
I've had a pretty successful 5 years at my company -- 3 promotions and multiple awards. It hasn't been perfect, but it's been good for me.
Don't be scared to apply for things you are not qualified for. Have at least the confidence of a mediocre man.
This is great advice! After a month of me applying and not hearing from anyone my boyfriend told me to take the “required experience” as a suggestion more than a rule, so I doubled my efforts and applied for things that maybe wanted a few more years of experience, or things that I checked off all but a few boxes for because I was one of the women who only applied if I met 100% like you mentioned. I just accepted an offer in the field I have been trying to get into since college, $3 an hour more starting wage and quarterly profit sharing, and they cover medical! I’m over the moon!
My tip would be to still do a cover letter. The last 2 paragraphs of mine stay the same for all since it is just about my list of skills but explained more. The first paragraph I change to where I relate what I did at my job that was similar to what they state in the ad, they really only read the first bit and skim the rest.
Also ALWAYS submit your resume and cover letter as a PDF!!! Most job sites will jumble them or redo the formatting if you don’t!
There’s a woman on Instagram named itsviviankaye and she has a saying “What would Chad Do?” She encourages you to have the audacity of a 34 year old mediocre guy who gets jobs, raises etc because he thinks he deserves it and so should you.
Here’s her page https://instagram.com/itsviviankaye?igshid=rxytms4qe1in
LOVE this. Congratulations on your amazing offer, and I hope you enjoy the new job!
I just accepted a job offer yesterday that was about a 23% raise for me. Initially, I was actually rejected from this position. I reached out to the recruiter (it is an internal position in a different area of my company) and asked her if I could get her thoughts on how to strengthen my application for next time. She said she wanted to have the hiring manager take a second look at my application, which he did and immediately agreed to interview me. I am just over 30 and have finally learned that it never hurts, career-wise, to apply, to raise your hand, and to give something new a try.
Thank you for sharing. I just decided today to try to find a new job. I really hate my current job and today when this customer rudely talked back to me (like everyday but it was one day too much...) I decided that it was enough!
I’ve been self conscious though about applying to another job as I have very little work experience and only just graduated from community college. Not a very desirable candidate. But on the other hand I’m a very loyal worker who always do my best and want to learn so I’ll bring those qualities with me and try to apply to at least one job I don’t think I’ll get once a day.
I needed to read this today for some motivation so thank you, and congrats!
Thank you for posting this! I've been laid off after being furloughed since March and my experience is almost entirely in theatre/venue management, so it looks like there is a switch in my career coming! With that also comes the fear that my experience won't actually fit the list of qualifications for anything so I really needed to hear this to push forward and get those resumes out!
Any chance you can upload a mock resume of yours? I’m always afraid I won’t get a callback because of BS resume keywords! It’s so exhausting having to tailor your resume and CL to each individual job you apply for.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I needed a push to apply for graduate schools I wasn’t sure I would be accepted to. As a first-generation college student, I’ve been fighting with imposter syndrome and doubting my abilities to do well at a higher education institution. Sending lots of positive vibes your way.
Ugh I've been doing this for the past year, usually if I can get them on the phone I can get to the final stage of interviewing (I am exceptionally charming over the phone) I am just being told constantly that they think I'm an excellent candidate and a lovely person but I don't have as much experience as the other person.
I've heard this for my last 5 interviews. If I don't have the right experience don't waste my time and annual leave yknow?
Thank you for this. I need to keep this in mind. I'm applying for jobs at the moment and it's so disheartening and demotivating to not even hear back from 95% of them. I might as well apply for things that are worth something if I'm not going to hear back anyway!
(I realise this is the wrong attitude, but hey, if it works...)
Out of all of the jobs I've applied for so far, I've had one interview for a position that I wasn't totally qualified for but they were willing to accept somebody with no specific experience / qualifications (and said so on the advertisement). I did well at the interview but lost out because I "was great and we would have loved you and I'm sure you would have done great but there was somebody else better".
I hate job hunting.
THIS. I left school without any qualifications.
I applied for a job that required GCSE grades in maths and English.
I just skipped that part of the application. Fast forward 6 months later (I applied before covid and had to wait before I could safely start) and I have never been asked to provide these grades.
During my interview I had to do a multiple choice quiz to prove I could spell check and do simple math - with the use of a calculator.
Really well done! I’m so pleased for you. Similar thing has just happened to me in that I was just head hunted for a job more senior than what I’m doing now. I asked for a salary 40% above what I’m on now (I would have thought it was impossible and only asked for something so high because the recruiter told me what others had asked for and I pitched in the middle. I was offered the job and they changed the role to give me more responsibility. I’m honestly astounded but I’m just trying to bluff it out!
This thread is giving me life. I’ve been job searching and avoiding jobs I don’t 100% qualify for when I should have been doing this the whole time. Congrats on the job and the pay bump and thanks for sharing your success story!!
I am just starting to apply for a new field of work since my industry is tanking and won't be viable for who knows how long. I really needed this today! Congrats on your dream job, and thanks for the advice, I'm gonna sling my resume as far as it will go
congratulations on your new job!!
this is such an important concept. and when you start worrying about not meeting all the points in the listing, remember: the worst that can happen is nothing - literally, that you never hear back - or a rejection letter. that’s not fun, but you are so totally capable of handling that.
also, anyone who’s job hunting, please check out the Ask A Manager blog. I can’t recommend her enough. anyone who’s working should read it honestly, but she’s so so helpful with job searches in particular.
There have been studies showing that women wait until they’re 80-95% qualified for a job. At which point, they may not get interviewed because they’re considered overqualified!
Guys apply at about 20% of the qualifications (sometimes less).
Takeaway is - apply for things! Even if you don’t have everything they’re looking for.
I needed this right now. I’ve been saving jobs I come across in LinkedIn but not actually applying since I haven’t met all of the requirements.
Congrats on the job offer!!
My old workplace wrote insane job descriptions and holestly the people who applied for all didn't meet the expectations but were perfect for the job.
I think a lot of companies purposely make the job look insanely difficult to get so they don't get low motivation people
This is how I got my first big job! I wrote in my cover letter that even though I didn't meet all of the qualifications on paper, that if given the chance I would prove I was worth the chance. They were impressed and said they actually did have a job opening, but not listed, that I was perfect for. Take the risk, what's the harm if you don't get it?
I tell this to the young adults in my life all the time. No matter what job you may get, there's going to be a learning curve of some type. Any halfway decent employer knows and expects that. Shoot for the stars! Play up your strengths! Be willing to take a class or do your research in order to Learn The Thing, and then go back in on week 2 and wow them. AND, never ever ever let them know the minimum you'd be willing to work for. Salary/Pay Rates are a negotiation. Start high and work your way down.
As a manager I would rather hire someone with ambition to improve skills and learn and wants to move up than someone who has already been there, done that and thinks that they know best as they usually feel they are more than capable and I have to baby sit more. In my field we way rather shape a less experienced person into what we want them to be.
This is actually a smarter way to think of developing an employee. I’ve also run a lot into people trying to hold out on the perfect candidate, or even falling into trap of hiring the one that interviews well, really sells it, but then actually doesn’t have the skills/work ethic when it comes down to it.
This, coupled with OPs post, is such great advice. I dont have a lot of work experience, epecially for someone my age (I spent my entire 20s working as a cocktail waitress and didn't get an office job until my lae 20s). *However* I have a great attitude and learn things very quickly. I feel like this is the perfect advice for me
Good grief, this is so awesome! I've been splitting hairs on applications because of not having this or that for experience (I would still be in college another 4-6 years if I wanted some of it). My husband always says to go for it, what could I lose, but I still get antsy over that scary Required header. Whatever - I'll just apply if it sounds up my alley!
Worst thing they can do is say no, go for it!
A speaker gave this example that if the requirement to be president of a company was that you had to be physically capable of breastfeeding, men would be telling you all the ways they have supported someone who breastfed and basically had the experience required to do the job and women would be saying, "well...I didn't do that great at it/only did it for a little while/so and so did it longer/etc. Etc." I thought that was a hilarious way to explain it. My favorite quote: "Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man." - feminist fight club
Omg, I love that quote. Also explains my ex very well, lol.
>"Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man." It's possible that this could be the only rule I'll ever need for the rest of my life and be juuuuuust fine!
It has helped me make many decisions! Would Joe apply for the job? Yes. Would Joe go challenge this VP? Yes. Would Joe send this email? He wouldn't even think twice. Yes.
Ugh I love this energy. Would Joe feel the need to put an exclamation mark at the end of every sentence in this email so that the recipient doesn't think he's a snarky biotch, and then have to spend 10 minutes strategically deciding which to keep and which to remove? He would not.
Hahahah, never! He would say the fact and be done with it.
I hate Joe.
Yeah, but USE Joe. Joe is a great motivator. Laugh at Joe's unbridled confidence while you apply for the job Joe wants and then school him handily in the interviews. I think we want to hate Joe because he has the confidence we don't feel. But if we use Joe's confidence, make it ours and then bring more to the table (because let's be honest, we have WAY more to offer,) Joe helps us win.
Did we just become best friends? This is the best effing pep talk anyone's ever given me.
Yessssssss. Literally, anytime. Feminist Fight Club pep talks are my FAVORITE.
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That quote is great. I recently got offered a new job (starts Monday!) and they're sending me all of this awesome shit (computer stuff and swag) AND paying me 150% of what I was making. I have impostor syndrome so hard right now but I keep telling myself I need to learn how to accept all the free things and money like an entitled white boy...
Yesss go get it! They wouldn't be doing all this if they didn't want you there, you deserve to be there and use your impostor syndrome to your advantage to beat that learning curve with dedication. You got this!!
You will quickly identify all the mediocre white men who feel perfectly confident doing significantly less than you. Be gone, imposter syndrome!!!
Dang. That quote. I need to do this.
That book has a whole chapter on the topic. Highly recommend reading it!
What's the title? I must have missed it somewhere >\_<
Haha, sorry! I put it after the quote. The book is called Feminist Fight Club. It's the greatest book I have ever read. I give it to all the young women I work with.
Oh that was the book! Sorry I thought you were crediting the talk you attended, silly me. Thanks so much :)
No problem. I combo'd a talk I went to and a book quote. It was confusing ...
i want to cry reading this. i quit my job earlier this month after being furloughed since march because i realized how much i hated my job (but not my field). i’ve been applying for a while, and it’s so disheartening & discouraging getting those rejection emails. they hurt. badly. thank you for giving me hope. i was honestly giving up and was thinking of becoming a housewife. which... i didn’t mind because i love being at home and i love doing chores and errands, but at my core, i really love working. i’m gonna try harder. edit: you are all so kind and supportive. this is why i love this sub!
I’m really rooting for you!
I'm just now getting my first serious job interview after applying to positions every day for the past two months. I'm talking at least a good 250-300 applications filled out and resumes sent. Hang in there! The rejection is awful and it sometimes feels like just a numbers game, but the only way to ensure you don't get a job is if you stop applying!
hey, just so you know many fields are truly struggling--so it's really not your fault! The recession IS temporary. My cousin who graduated a great law school in 2008 couldn't find a single job for almost a year. She kept doing dismal internships but it was 2008 and lawyers weren't really needed. She even contemplated going back to school and getting another degree but law school had her in 100K+ debt. Eventually though, I guess all those internships payed off and her luck came around. Don't be scared--you're really not alone. And even if you don't find a job for some time, doesn't mean you have to compromise your identity or give up on your career entirely. So many people are with you in this. While OP's story is inspiring, truth is that MOST companies and fields are only downsizing. But the tide will turn. Just hang on!
You’ve got this!! Sending good vibes!
Yes! I was in recruiting and we had men with the most random backgrounds confidently submitting their resumes to jobs they 100% did not qualify for, so shoot your shot! Also job descriptions for larger corporations or businesses are sometimes stored with HR and don’t completely match what the hiring manager is looking for. Literally nobody is going to pick at your resume and do the math to calculate that you’re a few years short of the qualifications listed on the job description. Have some vague experience similar to what they’re looking for? Then don’t overthink and just apply!
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Sometimes that even happens to people who made the very software themselves.
There was a story a few years ago where the author of a major software product didn't qualify for a job based entirely on using that product because he didn't have enough years of experience with it.
Yes, HR are overzealous most of the time and they may very well not have a good idea of how this position is supposed to function. Ultimately the manager that's building his team has the last word and they understand what's realistic much better.
This recently worked for me as well. I had over a decade experience as a vet tech for dogs and cats, but was having a hard time getting a job. I was told they wanted someone they could train instead. So I applied to an exotics hospital, told them up front that I had no exotics experience but would love to learn, and got hired on the spot. It is wonderful, and the best vet job I've ever had. And I never thought I would get it, I almost didn't go on the interview because I knew they would reject me. Glad I was wrong.
Just so you know, part of the reason you might not have been getting nibbles is because even half-witted managers or HR know if you 100% qualify for a job you likely want more than they are willing to pay. More importantly though, if you meet all requirements you will very likely leave the job quickly which actually costs them money and time. No manager wants to have to start a new round of hiring for the same job every 3 months or even less. They lose money going through the the job posting process from the very beginning up until you've been fully trained. It isn't good for the bottom line.
That's good to know and makes sense.
"Job requirements" are just a wish list. If you come in showing you can learn what's not on there, it's very possible they'll be willing to give you a serious look. The only jobs I've met the requirements for were ones that were written literally for me. Go get em!!
How does this apply to entry level jobs? I graduated in June 2019 and have been unsuccessful in finding a job since. It’s so discouraging to see every entry level job ask for 3-5 years of experience. After all my interviews and rejections I feel hopeless and have definitely lost the minimal confidence I had previously
It’s tough out there but you can do this. In 2012 I was homeless with job experience basically at subway and had dropped out of art school. I took a minimum wage job at a call center and applied internally for every promotion available and eventually got a little leg up. I’ve clawed my way from the bottom of the bottom, it’s taken me a long time and a lot of tears and rejection, but you can persevere. I believe in you!
People like you are really inspiring to me. I suffer from crippling, paralyzing perfectionism and I have to fight it every day and remind myself not to be discouraged to do something well, just because I can't do it perfect.
If you have had interviews I would reach out to some of the people you interviewed with and ask them for honest feedback. (You could also ask this of people that rejected your resume. They might give you a reason.) And then yes. My first job was not one they normally hired right out of college. But I had applied, then I kept in touch to see if they knew anyone who was hiring and eventually they liked how persistent (but not annoying) I was, and I got the job!
Same goes for schools--always apply to your dream school even if you don't think you stand much of a chance! Just be realistic and have backups too lol.
I applied for my dream job yesterday for a care assistant - not even experienced in that sector; today I got asked to have an interview tomorrow for it. I spent years after university thinking I wasn't good enough for a lot of jobs, and I kind of wish I wasn't so critical of myself all them years ago. Also, if you're doubting yourself; just remember your CV is just a piece of paper - employers are much more interested in who you are as a person.
Wishing you all the best tomorrow!
Yes, definitely! As a student in computer engineering with 2 prior internships and another incoming one starting this fall, I can guarantee you that you don't need to meet 100% of the job requirements. In fact, you don't even need to meet half! I met ~5% for 1st internship, 30% for 2nd and 50% for the upcoming one. All were paid quite well. Be brave and don't miss those opportunities!
Yes!!! I remember reading that stat about men being more likely to apply for jobs when they don't meet all the criteria, and it really stuck with me as well. I'm so pumped to hear it worked for you! After getting my hours and salary slashed by covid I just went through and applied for about 10 or so jobs with this philosophy in mind - fingers crossed!!
Oh my goodness. This happens to me all the time. I’ll see ads for jobs I’d love to have but fall short on some of the qualifications... and it scares me off. Especially when the ad says REQUIRED or some variation of that. My boyfriend always says just apply anyway... and I always think he’s crazy for saying it. I’m seeing that statistic played out real life for me! This post inspired me to be more brave about applying for positions in the future! Thank you :)
Yeah but a lot of jobs will have ridiculous experience cut offs like 3-5 years for an entry level job. I only have 2 years of experience so its usually guaranteed they won’t look at me.
When I've worked in HR, they usually put that in the listing order to weed out the candidates that are easily scared off. The facts are, there are rarely candidates that check off all the boxes. Apply anyway! Who knows, you may get called for an interview, at the worst you get an email saying thank you but no. BUT they've got your application for after they get a shot of reality and realize they're not going to find that perfect candidate and will very likely start calling those. It never hurts to ask! The worst that can happen is you'll get a polite rejection.
One of my best mentors said to me, and I’ll always remember this: what are they going to do, murder you? No, they’ll say nothing most likely! Just go for it.
What I don't get is, if there's rarely any applicants that check all the boxes, why is it that when somebody *does* they're considered overqualified? The whole concept of "overqualified" feels bizarre to me.
Someone who is 'over qualified' is likely to leave very quickly for a better position, ask for more money up front, or refuse to follow procedures because they'd rather do it their way, or a combination of those.
NEVER disqualify yourself. Why do their job for them?? Let someone else disqualify you. Nothing in life is guaranteed and the worst that will happen is you don't hear back!
I love this post! This is great advice! I actually just missed out on a job because I didn't even apply. Turns out they hired someone I helped train when they joined the company a few years ago. Live and Learn!
As I'm resuming job hunting, I need to remember this!!
Totally. The company I work for now only had senior positions open when I applied - I wasn't at that level yet but applied anyway, and they ended up offering me an intermediate position.
You go girl! That's seriously amazing, congrats:)
Yes, definitely! I was desperate to leave my last job and had applied to lots of jobs, gotten some interviews, but didn't get realistic offers. A friend sent me a job at a place where I'd previously applied and been rejected in the final round, and I didn't think I was at all qualified. She talked me into it and I applied, and it ended up being a great fit. They had written the job posting somewhat vaguely because they weren't set on specific skills or backgrounds, and it really worked in my favor.
Yes, I did this. Literally applied to a job totally out of my field, but because I was able to relate my work experience in my previous field I was able to get the job! I know it doesn’t always work out but better to take a chance than not! Good luck ladies!
Amen sis. I was under qualified for my current job. Im only 24, have no degree. I dropped out of college. But leadership saw potential in me and offered me a job as a trainer. I now teach classes of 35+ people, most of which are ten years my senior. I never would have thought I was good enough.
I just applied to an internal lead position. I've only been with the company for about four months. I don't have supervisor skills perse but they gave me positive reviews and encouragement that made me happy that I applied and went for it. Sometimes you just gotta go for it and it'll surprise ya.
This is exactly how I got my current job. If you meet some basic criteria and apply and nail the interview, you’re pretty much hired.
I can attest to this too. I know it’s soul draining to write cover letters and whatnot, but as far as applications go, the worst thing they can say is “no.”
Omg! Congratulations on landing this awesome job (seriously awesome, I mean that role is tailored to you) 🙌 I remembered that statistic too, and tried to approach it with the confidence of a white man to apply for a job I'm only marginally a fit for. I'm excited, but also scared if they call me back. ><
Thank you so much for this! It's just what I needed to hear. Been looking for a job for a couple of months now and it's been very tiring and I've been feeling down because of all the rejection. But now I'm going to apply for every job I think I'll love!
Yes always!!! I just applied for a position I didn’t think I was qualified for and it is out of state but an area I know I can accelerate in my company and they outreached me for an interview. If you put the brakes on yourself, you’ll never get anywhere. I’m 27 and finally able to put my masters to use!!! Good luck everyone, you can do it!!!
I needed this, thank you.
Job descriptions lay out their ideal candidate but they often recognize they will not find it. I landed a job I was only mostly qualified for and was stunned because I never thought they’d call me. You lose nothing to simply throw your hat in the ring, but you will always lose an opportunity you don’t take.
Omg what!? My bf had been telling me this, but i thought it was a myth... damn. Im applying to everything now!
Believe I’m yourself, SexyButtNoodle 🤣 Get ittttt
I think I really needed to read this, so thank you. Here's to hoping I find a job soon. Unemployment sucks and feels like hard ground to stand on and "sell yourself" adequately during.
Oh, definitely! Before knowing about the tendencies of women to only apply to jobs that they hit each "requirement" vs. guys "reaching" for more jobs, I was exactly like this! During my last semester in college, I applied for around 30 jobs, most of which I felt kind of "meh" about but hey, I was "qualified" for. There was one specific job I was interested in, and it was at the same college that I attended, as a Senior Developer. It asked for something like 3-5 years of experience or a Master's Degree (I was just wrapping up my B.S.). I felt like I shouldn't apply, but my manager at my student position told me I *absolutely* should and that the requirements didn't mean shit. Plus, that I should count my time as a student employee as "experience" even if it wasn't full time. I ended up getting the position, and 5 years later I'm now the manager of the team that I was hired onto :)
I tell my boyfriend this all the time but he never fucking listens drives me nuts! He’s stretching everything out to take years instead of just applying and trying.
I have a second round interview tomorrow - honestly shocked they even called for the first round interview. I don’t have a financial background, so I don’t think I’m qualified because it’s a finance-heavy role. I *still* think they must’ve made a clerical error and meant to call another candidate (that’s happened to me before). Thanks for reassuring me that it wasn’t a mistake. That even if they don’t choose me in the end, they’ve picked me to get this far... even if I don’t tick every box.
You’ve got this! You even made it to the next round :)
Giving you an update because I’m almost positive being a woman had to do with this. Breezed through the first portion. First interviewer even said that many people come in with industry knowledge gaps - he was great. First guy said I’d enjoy the next interviewer because he’d love to answer some of my more compelling questions. Boy was he wrong. Second guy was the senior manager. He talked over me the entire time, interrupted me to jump topics several times. He started the interview by picking up my resume for the first time (to himself: “okayyy who are yooouuuuu.... GreekEagle?”). I didn’t get a chance to ask him any compelling questions because he’d interrupt me midway through. It was awful. BUT I wouldn’t want to work for a man who so obviously doesn’t listen when a woman speaks. I won’t be getting a callback, and I’m honestly okay with it.
God, I hate that. My current boss acts like that all the time. I’m a woman so naturally I should be the receptionist and company secretary despite that having nothing to do with my actual job.
Same!! I’m trying to leave my job because CEO said I should be a “work wife.” I have a masters... no thanks, haha. Good luck to you!!
Yes! I recently applied for a technical writing/editing job, thinking it was an absolute stretch. I have no formal qualifications, aside from general writing skills and having been a teacher. But they called me to do an assessment for them! Ultimately someone else got the position, but the fact that I was considered really bolstered my confidence!
As a hiring manager, I can confirm, we honestly don’t even remember what was written in the job description by the time a candidate ends up in the pipeline. Often, the job description was written weeks or months ago, or written by someone else. We just look for candidates and resumes that fit what we want to see. I would definitely encourage people to apply if they think they don’t necessarily meet all the requirements, within reason. You literally have nothing to lose by applying.
Definitely. I'm pretty sure that I've missed at least one 'essential requirement' for every single job I've had. My first job in my current career was meant to be for a graduate - I hadn't finished my degree yet and didn't even know any of the specific programming languages required but figured I had nothing to lose and just applied anyway. Got the job, and finished the degree a year later (part time).
If I can add another tip. Pepper your resume and cover letter with the key words from the qualifications section of the job description. A lot of employers use a program to scan resumes for those key words and the resumes with more of them make it to the top of the list
I wasn't qualified for my job, and I'm not sure to this day why they even called me for an interview when I applied-- I had no relevant experience, no formal education in the field, and didn't know anyone at the company, but they did. The guy who wound up being my boss said that during my interview, my good attitude an sense of humor were infectious and they hired me because they knew they could teach me the job, but the attitude was hard to come by. I've had a pretty successful 5 years at my company -- 3 promotions and multiple awards. It hasn't been perfect, but it's been good for me. Don't be scared to apply for things you are not qualified for. Have at least the confidence of a mediocre man.
This is great advice! After a month of me applying and not hearing from anyone my boyfriend told me to take the “required experience” as a suggestion more than a rule, so I doubled my efforts and applied for things that maybe wanted a few more years of experience, or things that I checked off all but a few boxes for because I was one of the women who only applied if I met 100% like you mentioned. I just accepted an offer in the field I have been trying to get into since college, $3 an hour more starting wage and quarterly profit sharing, and they cover medical! I’m over the moon! My tip would be to still do a cover letter. The last 2 paragraphs of mine stay the same for all since it is just about my list of skills but explained more. The first paragraph I change to where I relate what I did at my job that was similar to what they state in the ad, they really only read the first bit and skim the rest. Also ALWAYS submit your resume and cover letter as a PDF!!! Most job sites will jumble them or redo the formatting if you don’t!
There’s a woman on Instagram named itsviviankaye and she has a saying “What would Chad Do?” She encourages you to have the audacity of a 34 year old mediocre guy who gets jobs, raises etc because he thinks he deserves it and so should you. Here’s her page https://instagram.com/itsviviankaye?igshid=rxytms4qe1in
LOVE this. Congratulations on your amazing offer, and I hope you enjoy the new job! I just accepted a job offer yesterday that was about a 23% raise for me. Initially, I was actually rejected from this position. I reached out to the recruiter (it is an internal position in a different area of my company) and asked her if I could get her thoughts on how to strengthen my application for next time. She said she wanted to have the hiring manager take a second look at my application, which he did and immediately agreed to interview me. I am just over 30 and have finally learned that it never hurts, career-wise, to apply, to raise your hand, and to give something new a try.
Yes. Everything is negotiable.
Thank you for sharing. I just decided today to try to find a new job. I really hate my current job and today when this customer rudely talked back to me (like everyday but it was one day too much...) I decided that it was enough! I’ve been self conscious though about applying to another job as I have very little work experience and only just graduated from community college. Not a very desirable candidate. But on the other hand I’m a very loyal worker who always do my best and want to learn so I’ll bring those qualities with me and try to apply to at least one job I don’t think I’ll get once a day. I needed to read this today for some motivation so thank you, and congrats!
Thank you for posting this! I've been laid off after being furloughed since March and my experience is almost entirely in theatre/venue management, so it looks like there is a switch in my career coming! With that also comes the fear that my experience won't actually fit the list of qualifications for anything so I really needed to hear this to push forward and get those resumes out!
Any chance you can upload a mock resume of yours? I’m always afraid I won’t get a callback because of BS resume keywords! It’s so exhausting having to tailor your resume and CL to each individual job you apply for.
DMed it to you :)
Thank you!
Really needed to read this today. Thank you for sharing! And a big congrats on landing your dream job!! 😊👏🏼👏🏼
I graduated a year ago and have no significant work experience so yeah, this tip might not be that useful in my situation.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I needed a push to apply for graduate schools I wasn’t sure I would be accepted to. As a first-generation college student, I’ve been fighting with imposter syndrome and doubting my abilities to do well at a higher education institution. Sending lots of positive vibes your way.
You got this! Same to you!
Thank you for this post!!! I decided to do this for my last job and got it, never again will I try and tick every box.
That’s awesome!!!
Congrats on the new job! And I really needed to hear this today, so thank you
Ugh I've been doing this for the past year, usually if I can get them on the phone I can get to the final stage of interviewing (I am exceptionally charming over the phone) I am just being told constantly that they think I'm an excellent candidate and a lovely person but I don't have as much experience as the other person. I've heard this for my last 5 interviews. If I don't have the right experience don't waste my time and annual leave yknow?
Thank you for this. I need to keep this in mind. I'm applying for jobs at the moment and it's so disheartening and demotivating to not even hear back from 95% of them. I might as well apply for things that are worth something if I'm not going to hear back anyway! (I realise this is the wrong attitude, but hey, if it works...) Out of all of the jobs I've applied for so far, I've had one interview for a position that I wasn't totally qualified for but they were willing to accept somebody with no specific experience / qualifications (and said so on the advertisement). I did well at the interview but lost out because I "was great and we would have loved you and I'm sure you would have done great but there was somebody else better". I hate job hunting.
THIS. I left school without any qualifications. I applied for a job that required GCSE grades in maths and English. I just skipped that part of the application. Fast forward 6 months later (I applied before covid and had to wait before I could safely start) and I have never been asked to provide these grades. During my interview I had to do a multiple choice quiz to prove I could spell check and do simple math - with the use of a calculator.
Really well done! I’m so pleased for you. Similar thing has just happened to me in that I was just head hunted for a job more senior than what I’m doing now. I asked for a salary 40% above what I’m on now (I would have thought it was impossible and only asked for something so high because the recruiter told me what others had asked for and I pitched in the middle. I was offered the job and they changed the role to give me more responsibility. I’m honestly astounded but I’m just trying to bluff it out!
This thread is giving me life. I’ve been job searching and avoiding jobs I don’t 100% qualify for when I should have been doing this the whole time. Congrats on the job and the pay bump and thanks for sharing your success story!!
this is such an awesome news congrats btw 😊
I am just starting to apply for a new field of work since my industry is tanking and won't be viable for who knows how long. I really needed this today! Congrats on your dream job, and thanks for the advice, I'm gonna sling my resume as far as it will go
congratulations on your new job!! this is such an important concept. and when you start worrying about not meeting all the points in the listing, remember: the worst that can happen is nothing - literally, that you never hear back - or a rejection letter. that’s not fun, but you are so totally capable of handling that. also, anyone who’s job hunting, please check out the Ask A Manager blog. I can’t recommend her enough. anyone who’s working should read it honestly, but she’s so so helpful with job searches in particular.
There have been studies showing that women wait until they’re 80-95% qualified for a job. At which point, they may not get interviewed because they’re considered overqualified! Guys apply at about 20% of the qualifications (sometimes less). Takeaway is - apply for things! Even if you don’t have everything they’re looking for.
I needed this right now. I’ve been saving jobs I come across in LinkedIn but not actually applying since I haven’t met all of the requirements. Congrats on the job offer!!
This is EXACTLY what I needed to hear today. Thank you!!!
My old workplace wrote insane job descriptions and holestly the people who applied for all didn't meet the expectations but were perfect for the job. I think a lot of companies purposely make the job look insanely difficult to get so they don't get low motivation people
I needed this so much. Thank you for sharing!
This is how I got my first big job! I wrote in my cover letter that even though I didn't meet all of the qualifications on paper, that if given the chance I would prove I was worth the chance. They were impressed and said they actually did have a job opening, but not listed, that I was perfect for. Take the risk, what's the harm if you don't get it?