Monday, October 6, 2014

To Apply or Not Apply, That is the Question



By Kelly Martin, Toppel Peer Advisor

Have you ever looked at a job or internship opening and thought, “this job looks perfect, but I don’t think I meet all of the qualifications”? If that’s ever stopped you from applying to that position, you might want to think again. In a recent article posted on LinkedIn, CEO of Apploi, Adam Lewis, talks about how if you’re going to let the list of qualifications stop you from applying to a job, you’ve already failed the first test.

Many people won’t bother applying to a job because they feel it’s a waste of time if they don’t meet the qualifications anyway. But the person who puts in that extra effort to apply anyway, and goes above and beyond to show why they could be an indispensable hire is showing that potential employer that they have qualities that any company would want. As Lewis says, “you can teach someone to sell shoes or use a computer, but you can’t teach them to have a work ethic or a welcoming personality.”

Employers are looking for people who are go-getters, people who are confident in their abilities. So in the future, if you feel you would be a great fit for a position despite lacking a couple of the listed qualifications, consider applying anyway. And once you get that interview, show them why it would be a mistake for them not to hire you. In fact, this could be a great answer to the infamous “what is your greatest weakness?” question. You could mention that you feel you don’t exactly meet one of the qualifications, but follow that up with how you are working to improve in that area and the strong qualities that you have to make up for it.

So be confident in yourself, the qualifications you do have, and your ability to show the employer why you’re somebody they absolutely need to have in their company, and you never know, you just might land that job.

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