You’re searching through the job posts and you see your dream job! So excited! You get a rush of excitement. Then you read the required qualifications and you sink…you don’t meet the qualifications.

Don’t you give up just yet! This one’s for you if you’ve ever thought:

I don’t meet the qualifications for the work I want …

I don’t have all the skills I need for the job …

How do I get experience when everyone requires experience?

Here’s what to do.

Meet more than half the qualifications? Apply anyway.

Go through the job description and do two things. First, quantify how many of the qualifications you meet. Then make a thoughtful guess about which qualifications they care about most. 

If you meet even 50 – 75% of the qualifications, especially their priorities, craft a resume that speaks specifically to how you ARE qualified and apply anyway. 

Obviously, don’t spam positions for which you’re not at all qualified. And don’t apply without making it clear on your resume the ways in which you are qualified and how your prior work will translate. 

Make a plan to fill the gaps. Show that plan on your resume. 

What skills do you lack? Get clear about the gaps in your qualifications. Make a plan to build those skills, then show your plan on the resume.

For instance, if you’re applying for a Project Manager role but lack a PM certification, find a course. Now list that PM certification on your resume, but instead of saying the date you received the certification, type in “Expected completion March 2021” or whenever it is. 

Get scrappy to get experience.

Yeah, there’s some silliness in the hiring world where, in some cases, even for entry level positions job postings state x years of experience are required. 

But the above approaches apply here, too.

Job descriptions are wish lists. If you meet a majority of the requirements, apply anyway. Show the experience you do have, even if you’re referencing projects you completed at school. 

Make a plan to fill gaps with volunteer work, internships, etc. Show that plan on your resume.

And mostly, keep going. Keep looking for and applying to opportunities, get your personal brand looking sharp and targeted, and spread the word that you’re a good worker (by being one!) and that you’re ready to contribute. 

No matter the gap or obstacle, make a plan to get in the game. A successful job search is a campaign, not a passive resume submission. And no matter how stacked the odds seem against you, remember that if anyone’s getting hired, that anyone can be you. 

Got a question of your own? Submit it here and I’ll answer! jennifershryock.com/questions