Applying for job that I'm under qualified for. Women always hold back.

[yoyoman]

I want to apply for a job I'm under qualified for. I have all the qualifications but the day to day tasks some I can do others I haven't done.
On one side I feel confident that I have the skills to learn on the job on the things I lack. I am a go getter and very ambitious.
But I also a shot scared. Will I be over my depth? Will I fail miserably ? I and anxiety so this doesn't help.
In my research I came across the fact that women tend not to go for jobs because of these feelings. Men on the other hand even if not qualified will go for it.
Do you think IABU to go for the job?

These sound a bit naff but I think they ring true :

Fake it till you make it.
Make decisions as though you are on your death bed. (I read this one this week and I'm using it to propel me forward with my next step to be self employed ).

I took a job almost 2 years ago heading up a dpt in an area of work I had little experience in. It was linked to something I had retrained and volunteered in whilst being a SAHM for 10 years. I was 45 at the time and just went for it.

Everytime I thought 'I can't' I changed it to 'how can I do this?'. I've made mistakes , there's been nights of no sleep, but I'm really proud of what I've achieved after feeling written off.

So go for it.

Good luck! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I have an update !

I have been invited for an interview!! So so happy ! Thank you all for your encouragement. I know I still have a good way to go but at least they liked my CV :)

Interview is in early Feb so I have some time to prepare.

I still think I don't qualify 100% for the job but how do I stand out and do well in the interview?

Be up front of the qualifications you're missing but give examples of other times you've gotten quickly up to speed, particularly a technical skill that you learned on the job. Try to learn as much as you can about the things you're missing between now and the meeting, talk about how excited you are to learn the new skills. Learn as much as you can about the company and talk about aspects of the role and company that excite you. Look up "common interview questions" and prepare answers in advance. So.e that might trip you up:

Talk about a time you had conflict with a colleague, how did you resolve it?

Tell me about a time you failed

Can you talk about a time you had to compromise on an approach to a project

Which career achievement or project are you most proud of

How can you be a positive asset for the company

I spent last year applying for jobs at top companies. I didn't want the jobs. They weren't exactly aligned with my skillset and I had no intention of attending their office. But I enjoyed the interview experiences, the set challenges, chatting to them about the role and it was nice to see what's popular at the moment. Also, because I didn't want the jobs at all, I felt a lot more confident in the interview. I could interview them more and dig deep into what the company weaknesses were.

I recommend others try this. Just sit there bold as brass and chat, learn that confidence, learn to not be nervous and to adopt that winning persona. Once you've interviewed at Netflix, Facebook and Disney or whatever, you'll feel a lot more chilled interviewing at a smaller company you'd actually like.

Oh, it also lets you see the sorts of salaries you can be offered, and thus you know your worth.

Well done! Have ideas of how you can get the gaps covered. They'll want solutions so make it easy for them.

That is so great! You've made my day.

Research the crap out of the role & play up the bits you'd be good at.
Memorize the KPIs or whatever they're calling them and have examples ready of what you've previously done successfully.
Ask lots of questions about the parts of the role you're not confident in, as they talk about it you might find out more about what they really want & consider essential. That could be useful.

You probably know all this anyway, but it's great you've a few weeks to prepare.

SO pleased for you!

Yes I agree with demonstrating you have learnt x process or skill competently before and this illustrates your willingness and capabilities to learn new things, or if you've done any professional courses etc. My current job I didn't have one of the required qualifications, but I researched what is was etc and made it clear I was happy to complete it within x time (obviously this depends on time and cost!).

Hurrah! I did the same two years ago for my 'dream job' which I didn't have one of the essential criteria for. Would never have dared when I was younger. I didn't lie and was honest in the application and my interview and got the job. I prepared and researched like mad beforehand. I am now an evangelical bore about encouraging people, particularly women, to do the same.

How do you stand out to get the job? I'm shooting from the hip here, but how about this: through your "can-do" and positive attitude, your drive, and your ability to truly listen. If you can give examples of each, that will strengthen your case. Not everyone brings those qualities, and (in my own experience at least) although they can be developed or learned, they rarely are.

Also, remember you don't know what the competitive field will look like. Maybe nobody they interview will have every single hoped-for skill and qualification. If you have all of the minimum required qualifications, which may be less than what they are asking for, and if you have at least some of the hoped-for skills and experience, then you may well be the best available person for them to hire!

I am so glad that I applied! Feeling really motivated.
I was told that 13 CVs were selected initially and then they picked 6 ( including mine)

So not a huge amount of competition but I still need to properly prepared.

Wil keep you updated.

if you prepare the interview more than properly, as though you were doing your first appointment for a new boss whom you wanted to impress, then you will have a good chance to outshine half of the competition, if not more :)

You don't know about the 5 specific ones in this case, but in general, at least with candidates I've interviewed in the past, only a small minority do the work.

Well done, OP!👍👍👍

So pleased for you ! I don't have many tips for your interview as I don't have much experience but wishing you best of luck for the interview and please do check back in.

I did that last year. I took on a job knowing that I would be covering my superior when she took a years sabbatical. I knew that I hadn't done half stuff covered in her role. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't spent the odd evening or weekend self learning, but most of what I have learnt I've picked up just by doing the job.

Go for it!!

Excellent advice from @YankeeDad, read that several times just before you go in.

OP, I'll be starting my new (only 75% qualified for) role around the same time as your interview. We can share our nerves

Ooh and forgot to say- I don't think it hurts to come across as a bit nervous in an interview. It shows that you care and it's important to you.

I like this image; interviews are a two way street and I find it very odd if a candidate doesn't ask me any questions during an interview (I interview a lot!). Things that stand out for me are:

• Smile and make eye contact! It's ok to admit you are nervous too, but demonstrate positive body language and engagement
• Research the company!!! Have some questions about the company ethos, the values or their approach to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Listen to the question and answer the actual question - don't go off at an irrelevant tangent but do offer adjacent experience if you can tie it in to the role/ question.
• Ask what the next steps are at the end of the interview

@Chilver I would be careful about asking directly several of the questions listed under your "potential employee" column. I think that "Tell me about your culture" or "What leadership qualities are most important to you" are good questions, but if somebody asks "how do you handle wellness and well being for your employees" I might worry that the person is more likely to be a problem employee. Similarly, "Why should I work here" might mean that the person has a strong sense of entitlement. And the question about why people leave tells me that the candidate may already be thinking about leaving, before they are even hired! These are all very legitimate things to want to know, but there are better ways to ask or better people to ask than the interviewer.
The well-being question sounds like it's about employee benefits (even if it's not), so a better time to ask is upon receiving an offer, or even better, reach out to former employees (using linked in) and ask them. Instead of "why should I work here" I might ask something like "if I were to ask some of your best and happiest employees what it's like to work here, what recurrent themes would you expect me to hear from them"? On the one about people leaving, I might venture to ask "what sorts of behaviours have you seen from past employees that ended up not being a good fit here?" but even that is a little bit risk for an early interview. A better one is the converse: "what would you say are the top 2 or 3 most common behaviours seen in those new employees who have a strong start and then go on to do well here?"

Good luck!

@Chilver I should add, all of the advice that you wrote yourself alongside the image is really excellent advice!

@YankeeDad I really like some of the alternate ways you've rephrased the questions - the image is more to show that an interview should be a two way street. There are ways to ask those questions (which are important) depending on level, role and company so yes, I wouldn't ask all of them directly perhaps but would ask questions that would give me a sense of the answers to them. How a company handles wellbeing, culture, progression, accountability, team dynamic etc are all important things to know before you get/ accept an offer - so often I find people go blindly into a company and then we see posts on here about employment issues!

I think the way you've rephrased the questions is excellent too - and agree that the image makes clear that interviews are a two-way street. Some great advice on this thread.

Hi OP, I was watching this thread and thought I'd pop a message on to say good luck if the interview hasn't happened yet. Let us know how it goes