applying for jobs you're not 100% qualified for

mark_s0

Hi all,

I'm looking to apply for a infosec position that I don't necessary meet all requirements for but I do meet most of the essential and half the desired requirements.
An example is - The position asks for linux/unix experience as they use linux/unix based tools to carry out their work which I don't have. But it does say "or demonstrable ability to become proficient in these areas".

Aside from showing enthusiasm to want to learn linux and that showing i'm a quick learner, I'm abit lost as to how I can prove this.
It could be self doubt, or chronic 'man-flu' stopping my brain thinking properly, but this is a department that I've wanted to work in for over a year and now a vacancy has come up, I don't want to apply and make a fool out of myself but at the same time, I don't want to waste the opportunity.

This is a position I would love to get and I see it as a really good opportunity, not only salary wise, but to really boost my career. Any pointers from anyone? Maybe someone who's been in a similar situation?

Thanks

Mark

vCole

Go for it.

My current job listed 5-7 year experience, Bachelors degree and VCP/MCSE/CCNA.

I have 2 1/2 years experience, degree is in progress and none of the above listed certs.

Doesn't hurt to try!

nicklauscombs

it never ever hurts to apply for a job, the worst that will happen is they say no.

MentholMoose

mark_s0 wrote: »

Aside from showing enthusiasm to want to learn linux and that showing i'm a quick learner, I'm abit lost as to how I can prove this.

Well you could go ahead and get started with learning Linux... install VirtualBox (free) on your PC and install Linux (many free versions available) in a VM, and start playing around. If an interviewer asks about your Linux skills, it's better to tell them that you're working on learning it already, and possibly give an example of something you've done, instead of saying you might eventually start learning it.

networker050184

Go for it! I only had about half the requirements listed for my current job.

tomahawkeer

If I feel that I can do the job, with a little bit of training (from them) im all for applying for a position that im not 100% qualified for. I tend to pick things up fairly quickly, so I dont see it as that big of a deal. Good luck to you!

veritas_libertas

Worse thing they can do is ignore your resume.

QHalo

From what I've seen, there's quite a few job descriptions that have requisite knowledge and certification lists that are nearly impossible to find someone with an exact match. Just submit it.

phantasm

About 80% of the jobs I've applied for over the past week I have not met all the requirements. Have I hear back from anyone? No. But it's still early in the process.

Just go for it, if they call you then great. If they don't, what'd you really lose?

mark_s0

thanks for the replies everyone, as you all said, the worst they can do is ignore my application or say no.

I'm definitely sure I can do the job with a bit of training from them to help me in my weaker areas. Installing Linux is something I've already done on an old laptop, I guess I was just worried about the level of experience they require as I would call myself a beginner at best. Hopefully my Windows and Mac OS X knowledge will outweigh that as they are "desirable" skills.

Thanks for all the encouragement, better get my application sorted!

keenon

As a common practice if you posses at least 50%of what they ask apply for it!

N2IT

keenon wrote: »

As a common practice if you posses at least 50%of what they ask apply for it!

Keenon I like your style

it_consultant

I wonder what unix / linux tools they use. You should probably learn how to modify config files, install from tarball, configure a network card, and maybe the basics of Apache configs, no what "sudo to root" means etc.

Go for it.

TheMechanic

Man I've applied for jobs I don't completely qualify for and get calls back. Phone interviews and all. I chickened out of a windows engineer position yesterday, but grabbing a sys admin position by the balls on Monday >=(

za3bour

I once applied for a job that asked for Linux experience (one year) I didn't have an experience at all i read some topics before interview then got the job.

I struggled at first but it was challenging and I learned a lot from working there for two years on something i had almost 0 experience at.

I didn't lie in the interview and told them that I'm not that familiar with it but this was the case for almost all the jobs I've been at before but I did learn in a fast period and they thought I'm good for it so i got it.

It doesn't' hurt to try but try to read about the basics at least before the interview.Good Luck

TheMechanic

PS: I love this forum. Glad I found it!

mikej412

Actually the worst thing that could happen if you applied for a job you're not qualified for is that they use the personal information in your resume to track you down at home and work and follow you around and mock you in front of your friends, co-workers, and family members until you get a restraining order against them (and you finally move away and off the grid to get away from them).

But the funny thing about that is that it could have been worse -- they could have interviewed you and offered you the job and you could have taken it -- and then you'd be working with those freaks.

When you think about that, having someone toss your resume in the trash doesn't seem all that bad anymore.

earweed

mikej412 wrote: »

Actually the worst thing that could happen if you applied for a job you're not qualified for is that they use the personal information in your resume to track you down at home and work and follow you around and mock you in front of your friends, co-workers, and family members until you get a restraining order against them (and you finally move away and off the grid to get away from them).

But the funny thing about that is that it could have been worse -- they could have interviewed you and offered you the job and you could have taken it -- and then you'd be working with those freaks.

When you think about that, having someone toss your resume in the trash doesn't seem all that bad anymore.

LMAO at this one.
I've not even been 50% qualified for most of the jobs I've applied for. No Calls, just one or two but it's 1 or 2 more than if I'd not tried.

ipconfig.all

Just apply and go for it !!!

I have applied for alot of jobs that I was not qualified for and I even got a face to face interview.

subl1m1nal

I would go for it!

Most places ask for everything including the kitchen sink so they have a little leverage negotiating salary.

e.g. "Well, you don't have cert x, or job experience y, so we feel we can offer you z amount of money".

They know dang well that the odds of everyone meeting 100% of what they ask is slim. You're probably perfect for the position, but they don't want you to know that.

It's kind of like telling somebody it will take longer to do something, but really knowing you'll have it completed faster. Lower their expectations so they'll be happier when you do it better than anticipated.

Michael.J.Palmer

This is how I look at it, and it's the way I look at a lot of stuff in life.

It never hurts to try, the worst that can happen is they'll turn you down and then you really didn't lose anything but the time it took to attach your resume and write a cover letter. I can live with that cost for any job, most job descriptions are actually listed on the high end of what they want and they'll more than likely settle for lower than that if someone can showcase the appropriate talents.

If you want to gauge yourself on a good job, just read the job responsibilities and if you feel that you can perform those duties with little to no accomidation then go ahead and submit a resume. If there are things that you're not so familiar with but you're a quick learner, then make sure you showcase your ability to pick up new technologies fairly quickly. Yeah, I'm unemployed, but I've actually gotten interviews for jobs that I was no where near qualified for via their job description just to lose out to someone who actually had prior experience, where as I have no experience.

Just something to keep in mind.

mikedisd2

mikej412 wrote: »

But the funny thing about that is that it could have been worse -- they could have interviewed you and offered you the job and you could have taken it -- and then you'd be working with those freaks.

When you think about that, having someone toss your resume in the trash doesn't seem all that bad anymore.

This was going to be my answer. Years ago I got hired as a sys admin without the appropriate background. Turns out, it did matter and I didn't make it past the 3x month probation.

Then again my current position required a load of stuff and I picked it up along the way. Studying after work, of course.

nel

Shy bairns get nowt as the old saying goes!

Go for it mate, you've gotta be in it to win it!

earweed

I just applied for a System Admin job. The listing must have been in error somehow because it basically described a desktop support job but listed it as System Admin. I'm only about 50% qualified for the role they described but I still applied.

bellhead

I think almost all managers have a wish/dream list of qualifications. They know ahead of time in 99% of all cases they are not going to get somebody who has every certification or skill they desire. Also they want to hire a candidate they can afford within their departmental budgets.

An example, I interviewed over the phone for a job I didn't get and the interviewer asked me if I had experience with several different transport equipment vendors, they had every possible vendor in the world named who made OC equipment, and I had experience with a couple of the companies they named, as it is almost impossible to be an expert on all of them due to costs and standardizing equipment out in the field. I gave them the spiel about how telecomm is a huge industry and one cannot be an expert in every vendor out there but the theory,test equipment, and troubleshooting knowledge is the same. They seemed to think a person existed who knew everything and could come in do everything they wanted from the get go. What they wanted was a consulting company in a person who would work cheap...

In a followup the HR guy who interviewed told me they were looking for a world class expert in each of these vendors and they were only looking for him. I knew at this point I wasn't getting the job and I replied something along the lines with the person you are looking for doesn't exist at the pay level you are seeking and good luck to you finding them.

Also I think the HR departments advertise they are looking for this, this and this but will take only this because the salary is right. They actually only seem to want to pay out money when they have a very pressing need such as the payroll server needs immediate replacement..."I have a story about this"...

I was actually involved in the last hire within the department and it was decided to recruit somebody who was under 30 and showed an ability to learn and who was local to the area so they wouldn't move away. He wasn't the most qualified but what we felt was the best fit for the job based on other factors...

Nuwin

Never hurts to try, unless you are the unfortunate soul to get hit with the above stalking reference. Odds are in your favor I hope that you can still try seemingly risk free.

If you've got real interest in the job, tailor your resume to hammer home your strengths as it pertains to the listed job requirements. I only send 'canned' resumes to jobs that seem like a marginal fit for me anyway. Sometimes, you just never know without interviewing. Tricky balance and sometimes you're just guessing what is a true fit and what isn't. For better practice, try to tailor your resume to every job you apply for though. Based on what you get call backs for, you might learn how to present your strengths better in the future.

I once heard that many job descriptions are overinflated with requirements. They're not necessarily all of the true requirements, but because there are so many, it becomes easier for HR to document why you weren't hired. Reason being true or not. I have no sources on this, but it seems to make some sense as easy as it is to be sued these days. Even if totally wrong, if it gives you more confidence to try, then I see no harm.

mark_s0

It's good to know alot of other people have managed to get jobs without being 100% qualified. It was similar when I got the job i'm currently at, apparently there were others who were more experienced but somehow I was what they were after.

I submitted my cv and application form today so fingers crossed! I changed my cv to fit their criteria better and also switched things around to make certain desired skills more prominent.

I guess part of the doubt was because the raise in salary is quite a substantial amount, and maybe I didn't feel qualified enough for the amount. Who knows, maybe this is my lucky break, and is something, after months of struggling with money, I actually deserve.

Thanks to everyone who replied, it's really appreciated. My phone will remain on loud and my email constantly being refreshed!

Heero

I've heard before that employers look for candidates that fill 60-70% of the requirements. In a lot of cases it can be really hard to fit every qualification for every little thing about the job. Obviously the bigger things are more important, but little things can be overlooked easily.

za3bour

I just wanna say good luck.

earweed

Besides just applying to jobs you see posted on job boards you might also consider sending out your resume to companies which aren't posting jobs yet in your area. Here in Alabama we have a site called AL.com which has a job search engine and you also have a listing of EVERY company in an area you specify. I've started going through these companies (filtered by medium- large size) and have been sending my resume along with a short cover letter. Some of them may not even have an IT department but it doesn't hurt to keep trying.
You may even try going through the phone book, start with the large hospitals in your area, bank chains, universities/ colleges/ juco's and just work your way through. The more your resume is seen the better chance you have of being called.
Good Luck

Hyper-Me

‎"You can never know everything and part of what you know is always wrong. Perhaps even the most important part. A portion of wisdom lies in knowing that. A portion of courage lies in going on anyway. "

I love that quote because its 100% true. You will never ever be 100% qualified for anything, but you can put in the effort and probably be ok 95% of the time. Make sure you cover, quickly, what you dont know if you get a job and close the gap.