Ask HR: I am Under-Qualified; Can I Still Apply For A Job?

By Michelle Wanjiku
“I have heard that I can apply for a job even if I don’t meet all the qualifications. But what are my chances since I don’t tick all the boxes?” Jane asked via email.
Most of the time, you will pass on a job you think is a great fit just because you do not have all the qualifications.  In some instances, you could be applying for jobs you know you don’t qualify for but still want to take a chance.
You could be missing out on great job opportunities just because you feel you do not have what the company is looking for.
So how do you know if you are under-qualified?
I talked to Cynthia Wangeci, a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services and this is what she had to say.
“There are certain things that you should look at when considering whether to apply for a position or not,” says Ms. Wangeci.
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Here are the indicators
1. You are unqualified if you only have one qualification
When it comes to applying for a job, you need to ensure that you don’t just apply for a job because of the title.
You need to go through the job description and if you find that out of all responsibilities outlined, you only have experience in one of them, don’t convince yourself that you can learn the rest.
Employers are willing to hire candidates who are willing to learn on the job but they also want someone who is knowledgeable in a majority of the duties.
So before applying for such a job, you can try to gain these skills first.
2. You are not unqualified if you only lack one or two qualifications 
“Recruiters don’t just interview people who tick every single qualification, it is great if you do but they will also give people who are missing one or two of the qualifications a chance,” says Ms. Wangeci.
For example, if the job requires someone who has three years’ experience; you can apply if you have two years’ experience or more.
Employers are willing to hire people who will grow at the position as well because if you already can do everything, it is very likely that you will tire of the position soon.
3. You’re unqualified if the job is a senior level role in a new field
According to Ms. Wangeci, you should not assume that just because you are a manager in your role now you automatically qualify for a managerial position in a different industry.
In order to actually get a senior role in a new industry, you will need to have the necessary qualifications.
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Finally,
Whereas, it is very important for you to ensure you don’t waste time and resources applying for jobs you have absolutely no chance of getting, you can still apply for positions you are under-qualified for.
According to Ms. Cynthia, sometimes companies decide to hire someone who is not fully qualified but they think has the potential to do the job.
This is where your CV and cover letter come in, you need to ensure your application will get you an interview where you can demonstrate to the employer that even though you don’t have the required years of experience, you will still be a valuable addition.
Want to improve your interviewing skills, contact training@corporatestaffing.co.ke to book a one on one mock interview session.