Maybe you took the responsible route”you went to school and studied your butt off in a subject area that you knew would allow you to have a comfortable life”or maybe you just thought you knew what you wanted to spend the rest of your life doing. Regardless, realizing that your dream job is out of your reach because you are unqualified can be a bummer”but it is not the end of the road. Here are five tips for landing the gig even if you don’t have all the goods.
Place more emphasis on cultural fit
Most of the time the list of qualifications you find on a job posting are more like, well, a wish list of sorts”all the things they’d like the future employee to have. The truth is, though, that more often than not, finding someone who is a cultural fit is more important to them than almost all of those qualifications.
Showcase quality over quantity
Just because you haven’t worked in the field they want for five plus years doesn’t mean that you can’t showcase how important the one to two years of work you have done. Place an emphasis on the areas you have focused on intensely in those years and give solid examples of how those make you a valuable asset to the position you are trying to fit.
Find ways to showcase your transferable skills
And maybe you’ve never worked in a career that is even remotely similar to the one you’re applying for. Figure out how to show your transferable skills (those you learn in the working world that can be utilized across a variety of careers) and how they can work for you at this new position.
Study your subjects
Don’t leave the Googling up to just the interviewer. As soon as you know who you will be meeting with, do your own research on them, their background and their interests. Use this information to make small talk about your common interests/experience, not only will it make you more memorable and enable you to ask better questions during your interview.
Let your passion do the talking
Sometimes that dream gig is a role that spiralled out of an interest or hobby that you’re really passionate about”never, ever be afraid to showcase that. Many employers would much rather have someone on their staff who is extremely passionate about their work than overly trained in it. Doubt ever don’t the emphasis it can have.
