How Not to Waste Time in Your Job Search
It’s really easy while searching for jobs and reading the description, to think “that’s easy enough to learn” or “I could do that.” While there’s typically training for any new hire, a base knowledge of certain hard/technical skills is necessary to be successful in a new position.
Companies list specific qualifications and job requirements to provide an idea of what skills and experience is necessary to succeed in a certain position. Candidates not possessing this base knowledge are unlikely to succeed in the position, and therefore unlikely to even be considered for an interview. This is why it’s important to carefully read job descriptions and determine if you meet the minimum qualifications needed before applying.
When considering whether to apply for a specific job or not, keep these things in mind:
Not being qualified wastes everyone’s time: When a hiring manager reviews your resume against the job requirements and notices they don’t align, it will immediately go into the ‘no’ pile. Applying for a position you know you aren’t qualified for not only wasted the hiring manager’s time, but also the time it took you to go through the resume submission and/or application process.
Ignoring job requirements shows you don’t care: Applying for jobs you’re not qualified for suggests you didn’t take the time to read the full job description or look into the company. It also shows that you overlook important details, and don’t care about what the company actually needs.
The difference in hard requirements vs. soft requirements: Upon reviewing the job description and seeing you meet many of the requirements, but don’t have the listed number of years of experience, you should still apply. Since you possess the hard skills required, there is a greater chance you would still be considered for the position.
Starting from the beginning and working your way up isn’t a bad thing: Companies would rather promote from within, therefore by starting at a job you’re qualified for makes it easier to work your way up in the company and put in the work to be promoted.
We understand how frustrating job searching can be, and our best advice is to use your desired job as a targeted checklist in your current/next job. You can write down the hard skill requirements and as you achieve them, they can be crossed off. It may take time to obtain the hard skills but it moves you closer to landing your dream job and shows you want to be a successful addition to the company.