Don’t Let Job Descriptions Stop You

How closely do your skills need to match a job description before you can be considered a legitimate candidate for the job? (40%, 60%, 80%, 100%)

Have you ever read a job description that sounds like a perfect match for your skills, and then you see "REQUIRED - 5 years of experience," but you only have 1-2 years of experience. Or perhaps you are like me, and you have not gone to college. Would you still apply if the job description says "Bachelor's Degree REQUIRED?"

Previously, skill statements like those would have prevented me from applying. However, before allowing these statements to discourage you, consider the comments from ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel. In the book "Get Hired Now," he refers to job descriptions as a "wish list" that "often bear no resemblance to who actually gets hired." As a result, he encourages people to apply for any job where they have 40% or more of the required skills.

According to Siegel, what is more important is applying within the first two days of the job being posted. This is critical because not only will you be considered against a smaller group, but studies show that doing so will optimize your chances of getting hired (reference article).

On the other side of the table, in an article from the Harvard Business Review (article link), Joel Schwartzberg states that when a job description uses the "phrases "required" and "must have," they mean it. These are typically non-negotiable."

I would argue that most things are negotiable - within reason. The real question for me becomes, "Can I prove that I would bring value to the position?"

Can You Prove Your Value?

Personally, I won't apply for a job unless I meet about 70% of the requirements. I also want to feel confident that I can bring something to the table that will make up for the other 30%.

Again, that 70% is within reason. For example, there was a job post for which I felt I was about 80% qualified. However, toward the end of the description, there was a requirement for "5-years of proven sales experience."

Not only do I not have 5-years of sales experience, but I also do not naturally possess the personality for sales. While I would like to learn to be a good salesman, I cannot legitimately bring immediate value to a position with that requirement. So I did not apply for that position.

Exact Skills Are Not Aways Needed

Many examples prove that having exact skills is not always necessary, even for specialized positions. It can even be detrimental to an organization's growth when everyone possesses the same background and skillsets. [For more information on this, see the book Range - Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World by David Epstein]

The key here is that you need to be able to show how the skills and abilities you already possess can translate to the position. You must be able to paint a future picture that shows how your skills will benefit the company.

Do Your Best and Document Your Success

I would recommend to everyone, whether you are in a job or currently looking for a job, to document your successes. It is important to quantify those wins with tangible measurements whenever possible.

• "I was able to help save the company ___ dollars by doing ____."

• "The program I developed increased productivity by __ percent."

Multiple videos and articles have encouraged providing specific details in your resume to validate your skills.

I wish I had kept a log because memories start to get fuzzy and details get lost as time goes on. Having a documented list to pull from will make it easier to include those relevant details in your resume.

Having successes to document requires bringing your A-game to every job you do. Especially for those just entering the workforce, you need to understand that there is value in EVERY job you do, even in the ones that you don't like. By documenting the value you bring to every job, you are increasing the value of your personal brand.

The next post will focus on some important resume tips that you need to know to in this age of technology-driven recruiting.