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The end of the year is approaching and people are getting a jumpstart on their New Year’s resolutions, which, for some, means getting back in the job market. Many use the holiday downtime to scope out potential job opportunities. However, a job description can sometimes deter someone from applying if they feel they’re missing required skills — especially women.
According to LinkedIn behavioral data, women apply to 20% fewer jobs than men and are more hesitant to ask for a referral from within the company. Often, women don’t apply for a job unless they feel they meet 100% of the description’s criteria, compared to men, who apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements.
Early in my career, I was working inside sales at a biotech company focused on stem cell research. I was fresh out of my MBA program and realized quickly that sales wasn’t for me. My passion was with the product; we were doing important work. I was drawn to bringing this story to life and aspired to an open role on the marketing team. So, I planned a meeting with the CMO. This meeting kept getting moved, but I remained determined and didn’t let it drop. Once the CMO learned I had an MBA, she eventually took the meeting.
I made the case that, while I didn’t have any marketing experience, my product knowledge from my roles in sales coupled with my education made me qualified for the position (even though I didn’t have the years of experience the role required). I convinced her I belonged on her team and switched to the marketing department. There are many of these defining moments in my career, but this one always comes to the top because I believe that, had it not been for her taking a chance on me and my persistence, I don’t think I would have built the career I have in marketing today.
What I learned from that experience is that you can’t let a lengthy list of requirements on a job description keep you from clicking “apply.” While a job description is a summary of what a company is looking for, each of the skills listed may not carry as much importance as the next.
Soft Skills Vs. Hard Skills
Before submitting your resume to a job you’re unsure about, take a look at the skills that seem integral to performing the day-to-day functions of this role. These are hard skills. Are there specific certifications required? Do you need to be well-versed in a specific coding language or type of animation? These technical skills often can’t be sidestepped and are essential to performing the duties of the role. If you don’t have these skills, consider taking a course to learn them if you want a career in that industry.
Soft skills can offer a little leeway and can be shown to hiring managers in different ways. Spotting these can be as easy as identifying words like “nice to have,” noting certain skills are more of a wishlist item than a requirement. Take years of experience, for example. If a job posting asks for five years at a digital marketing role, and you have four years but meet most of the other hard skills listed, this shouldn’t make too much of a difference. Specific software tool experience like CRMs, MAs, and project management tools can often be learned on the job, as most are customized to fit an individual business’s use case. Determining which skills are necessary for the actual job function should give you a good idea of whether or not you should pursue the role.
How To Get Your Foot In The Door
Now you’re ready to apply, so how does your resume stand out? Highlighting your diverse skill set on paper is a start, but the best way to move your name to the top of the pile is through someone inside. Referrals can push your application right to the hiring manager. If you have connections at an interesting company, reach out to learn more about the hiring process, more context about the team, and goals for the role. It also shows early on how interested you are in the role as employers love to see someone investing the time to learn more.
By submitting your resume internally, there’s a good chance recruiters will take a look at you first. Beyond inside referrals, another valuable tool is recommendations from colleagues on LinkedIn — these add color to your background and often lead to your advancement in the interview process.
Once you’re in the door, highlight the skills you do have while referencing applicable skills that can fill in the gaps on skills you don’t yet have. When I’m hiring, I always look for someone who is hungry and eager to learn. For me, drive and ambition will always trump having the soft skills listed in a job description.
Don’t know anyone at the company? Try to meet someone at networking events. Ask friends and family if they know someone at that company and see if they can make an introduction. Reach out to connections with similar job titles to better understand what the role looks like. Never underestimate the power of keeping a solid network around you — it’s essential to making career moves today.
You Got The Job! Now What?
How do you prove you’re here to stay? Raise your hand when new opportunities come your way, and work hard to learn more and contribute immediately. Had I not stepped outside of my first role in sales to cross over to the marketing side, it could’ve taken longer to get into the field I wanted.
Applying to a job you don’t fully meet the requirements for can seem daunting, but it can ultimately be beneficial for you and your potential employer. It can provide you with a clear growth path and your new company with a larger breadth of skills they didn’t know they needed.
