Why You Shouldn't Wait Until You Meet 100% of Job Requirements to Apply

"I only apply when I know that I meet 100% of the job requirements." That statement was said to me this week by a job seeker.

My response. "Really?"

Part of this job seeker's rationale was feeling imposter syndrome, so to combat that, she should only apply to positions where she knew she could be successful immediately. Also, part of it was feeling that is what she needed to do to have a chance at being hired.

I then told her about my experience in hiring for two decades.

I could count on one hand the number of people who had everything I requested on a job posting.

If the person hired did have everything, they would quickly get bored with the job. Where is the growth?

With my information, I hope she now sees that her job search application strategy was working against her.

But I know many people feel this way, so let's talk more about why doing this can harm your job search.

The Job Posting Can Be a Wish List

As a Recruiter, I met with each hiring manager in an "intake" session. They would give me their requirements for the job. Sometimes, it was a short list, but more often than not, it was a lengthy list, often running to two pages.

My first question would always be, "What on this list are must-haves and what are nice-to-haves?

The job posting you see online usually lists what the hiring team would look for in an ideal candidate. If the person has everything on the list, the hiring manager believes with reasonable certainty that the person will be successful. And their goal is to reduce the inherent risk of hiring someone new.

Yet very few people with all those requirements exist. Recruiters know this. That is why I would ask the question. When looking at applicants, I wanted to quickly understand what I needed to look for in a resume. If I only moved forward applicants with everything on the list, I likely would have no applicants for the hiring manager to see.

It is great when a job posting specifies which requirements are mandatory and which are wants. But many don't.

My rule of thumb is to look at the job duties and job requirements sections and note what is at the top of these lists. Those tend to be the most important ones for the hiring team.

Don't Ignore Your Transferable Skills

I was once hiring for a Strategic Sourcing Manager in the beef, pork, chicken, and fish area. This was a tough position to fill. Most important for this role was that the individual had expertise in this area, since for my organization's hospitality customers, it is a big part of the cost, and knowing the different species and cuts and the process from farm to table is essential. While I would have loved to have hired someone with strategic sourcing experience, having the transferable skill of meat knowledge was something I would look at. I ended up speaking to individuals who were chefs and restaurant buyers because they had this expertise, even if they had never done strategic sourcing before.

Your transferable skills may be very relevant to the potential employer. But you must be able to spell that out on your resume for them. Please do not make the mistake of thinking the recruiter will figure it out on their own. They are too busy, and nine times out of ten, won't do it.

You Don't Know the Applicant Pool

Are you intimidated by the numbers you see on LinkedIn or other job boards of job applicants? You see the high number and say, well, I won't apply because there are already many applicants, and I do not meet all the requirements. Here is a secret that recruiters don't often talk about: In many cases, the vast majority of applicants do not meet the minimum requirements of the job.

Yes, it is true. And I can back this up with my own experience in recruiting. People often apply because they think the job looks interesting, want to work for that employer, or believe they can learn it. Yet, nothing on the resume shows they are qualified and have the skills, experience, or knowledge to do the job.

So while the numbers you see are high (and often overinflated), many of those people are not your competition; you may find that even if you do not have all the requirements, you may have more than most applicants. That means you may be chosen for an interview as a result.

Diversity and Inclusion Could Be Important to This Employer

Many employers often seek to diversify their workforce and may consider candidates with unique backgrounds, perspectives, or experiences, even if they don't meet 100% of the requirements on a job posting. Remember, diversity encompasses many things, including race, gender, age, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, disability, etc. If you fall into a category where the employer wants more representation, your diversity can be valuable.

What Is a Good Percentage of Requirements to Aim For?

There are no hard and fast rules for this. In my opinion, meeting anywhere from 70-80% of the requirements gives you a good chance of getting an interview. If you have less than that, I won't say you can't get an interview, but it is more of a long shot. Remember, you will be a riskier hire. Many hiring managers will want to avoid taking on that risk. They would rather wait until the candidate with the right requirements comes along. Also, if you need extensive training to get up to speed, many organizations are very lean and do not have the resources to train you. That will want someone who can be productive very quickly.

In the world of job hunting, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to tick every box on a job posting even to stand a chance. But let me tell you, that's not how the game is played. Often, the folks who dare to throw their hat in the ring with many, but not all, of the requirements end up landing interviews.

Shelley Piedmont is a Career Coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. I help job seekers prepare for interviews. You can engage me to help you prep for any type of interview. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.