Job Seekers: Don’t Apply To Jobs You’re Not Qualified For! Applying for jobs you are not qualified for is an exercise in futility that can harm your job search. Here are five key reasons you should avoid this practice: 1. You will not get the role - you're not qualified! When a job listing states required qualifications, those are generally challenging requirements. No amount of great interviewing will override a lack of required skills, education, or experience. Save yourself the time and focus your efforts on roles you are eligible for. 2. You are showing poor judgment. Sending in applications despite lacking qualifications shows poor judgment and time management. It also wastes the hiring manager's time, damaging your reputation. Be realistic about your qualifications. You cannot bluff your way into a role you are underqualified for. 3. You risk clogging the inbox of someone who may hire you for another job. Hiring managers move between companies. The person you sent an unqualified application to today may be hiring for a perfect role for you down the line. Make an excellent first impression by showing you can read and follow application instructions. 4. You make the hiring manager's job more difficult. Sifting through unqualified applicants takes significant time. Empathize with hiring managers, and don't add to the haystack of irrelevant applicants. You want to present a great impression, not a bad one. 5. Specific industries have legal sponsorship requirements. Applying despite requiring sponsorship wastes your time and the company's. Read the requirements closely and do not bother applying if you need immigration/work sponsorship, they cannot provide. In summary, avoid applying for jobs you lack the qualifications for. Not only will you not get the position, but you also risk damaging your reputation and hindering hiring managers. Show good judgment and focus your efforts where they belong - on finding and applying for roles you are qualified for. My next article will provide tips on making your qualified applications stand out from the crowd.
I only apply to positions that read like my résumé. Because I do what I love.
Follower of 1 | Fractional Chief Technology & Product Officer Services | Increase SaaS growth & Impact | Software Engineering Leadership Growth Coach
11moDisagree... in tech if you feel like you can do the job and match most of the hard requirements and some of the nice to haves you should apply. As a hiring manager I look for confidence and grit as part of qualifications but I don't put that in the job description. You'll never know what you can do if you don't try.