How to Get Hired Without Being Qualified! - Careers - Career Management

Job Hunting After 50: How to get hired without being qualified!

Youre job hunting after 50 and you see many jobs where you might be qualified but not quite. Also, you find jobs posted that require certain qualifications that you know are rarely used and are not critical to the performance of the position.

Do you apply for these positions? Absolutely, you should apply. Many times the job requirements are simply a rehash of the experience held by the previous holder of the position. Or the HR person pulls out an old job description and drafts the job announcement from that document.

You have to be creative in getting hired when youre not qualified. It will expand your universe of possible job and career opportunities, thereby increasing your likelihood of finding the right job sooner. Add some spice to your life and look beyond applying for job that you absolutely cover all the listed qualifications.

So here are three strategies you can use in your job hunt after 50 to get hired in a position where you are not qualified:

1. Add some personal projects to your qualifications. Work for a career related association, or a non-profit, or your church. Write articles and publish them on the internet.

Then as you network your way through your contacts these projects will open doors for you in the hidden job network. They show you are more than one dimensional and many relate to listed qualifications on job announcements.

If the job opening wants three years experience on a particular activity you can show; you have the experience, it is varied, and you got results and then minimize the three year requirement. The three year requirement is really only an estimate so if youre strong in another area it will make this listed qualification less important.

2. Never, never stop learning. Learning is all around us. From reading a book on the latest in your career to developing a skill using the internet to attending a workshop or seminar, all will add to your job hunting toolbox.

For example, a job announcement indicates one of the qualifications is the use of a specific contact data base. You have experience using a competitors software but not this specific application. How long do you thing you can become knowledgeable in this required skill?

A few days or a week of self-study, perhaps a friend can tutor you, or the software manual is on the internet for study. Dont let this published qualification keep you from applying for the position. List this knowledge on your resume, under other qualifications or system skills and if appropriate make mention of it in your resume cover letter.

3. When in doubt apply for the job. As stated previously many times the job qualifications are estimates. If looking for jobs in the hidden job market they will many times be more interested in how well you will fit with the other employees, your problem solving skills, and your teamwork and leadership abilities and how well you communicate.

If the job opening is published and you do not have a particular qualification but you can state how you would be a good fit for the position, simply ignore the qualifications you do not have. Emphasize your long track record of results delivering what the employer wants.

If you can be creative in demonstrating how you would be a good fit and have a record of results, by all means apply for the opening.

Of course its not recommended applying for job where there are specific, well though out, and inflexible requirements for the positions. For everything else, for example, you have a bachelors degree with over 20 years of varied additional education but no formal MBA, and they are looking for an MBA, go for it. You need to explain how your additional education, training, self-study and experience equal or exceed the MBA.

Be creative, and add to your universe of possible positions, it cant hurt to expand you job hunt after 50.

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