The truth is there are lots of reasons you could be a good or bad fit for a role–culture, skills, experience, company leadership and team structure, and career goals all help determine how much of fit you are.
Now, listen up because this is the key to everything (🙌): even if you don’t have tons of directly-related experience, you can still convince employers that you’d crush it and land the job.
Yes, it’s true. You don’t need to check every box in the job description to be a standout candidate. In fact, it’s rare for candidates to meet each and every hiring criteria.
It is, however, crucial to market the *heck* out of the ways in which you are a fit. Moreover, if your skills are not directly related to the role, you have to sell employers on those skills you have which are transferable (i.e. valuable and applicable in many situations and roles).
But how!, you ask.
Here are a few tools to market yourself more effectively to employers throughout the hiring process, even if you don’t have a ton of related experience:
- Prove that you’re a superstar with an action-oriented resume
- Prepare, practice, and deliver your personal pitch flawlessly in the interview
- Best places to research the company so you can tailor your pitch
- Nail your interview pitch even if you’re a student or recent grad and fairly new to this whole “job” thing
- Career changer? Here are 5 key tips to successfully leap into a new field
Above all, remember the golden rule: play to your strengths. And your weaknesses? Leave them out of your pitch.
Not mentioning your weaknesses or what you don’t know (yet) is not dishonest. It’s just a way to focus the conversation on what you can do, rather than what you can’t.
Want even more expert tips on how to brand yourself for a role? Check out our Facebook Live Interview Series with hiring leaders at top companies. Get insider tips from:
- Noelle McIsaac, HR Director of Agency Within
- Jemia Young, Diversity Talent Program Manager at TEKsystems
- Tom Ray, Head of Cloudreach USA
Want career and job hunt advice from other ambitious pros? Join our FindSpark community Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/findspark
