To apply for a job I'm not qualified for?

[LlamaFace19]

Hi all. I was sadly made redundant in February and have been job hunting ever since. I recently applied for a job that I have experience in and that I was well qualified for via a recruitment agency, and today received an email saying they have another job with the same company that they think I would also be a good fit for. I check the job out and it sounds good, is similar to jobs I have done previously and I fit 90% of the person specification... Apart from qualifications.

They are asking for a 'minimum Masters degree', which I don't have. I have a Bachelors. But I fit pretty much everything else they're looking for, really like the sound of the job, and again it's in a sector I have experience in. I'm very tempted to apply but part of me is saying there is no point as I don't fit one of the essential criteria? Also, I'm worried that if I do get the job I won't be able to do it as I don't have all of the required knowledge!

Should I just bite the bullet and do it?

YABU - Don't apply, there's no point
YANBU - Do it

Often jobs want a Bachelor's degree and say, ten years experience or a Master's and five years. I suspect your experience will mean they won't want a Master's. They may offer you a lower salary though 😔

You may be right about the salary, but this really annoys me. OP would be required to do the same job, with the same performance requirements - why should she be paid less.

You have convinced me that your experience is a good sub for a Masters - go convince the employer!

Go for it. Let them decide whether they really need that masters degree. A mediocre man would fit 10% of that criteria and still go for it.

Definitely! Not one single person has ever asked about my masters. They ask about your degree. Experience wins every time.

Without a doubt

This is one of the real benefits of a recruitment agency. They can and will "flex the spec". Sounds like you're working with a decent recruiter who can see beyond the job spec and have a conversation with the hiring manager as to why you'd be a good fit.

Good luck. So glad you're applying.

Chemical engineer and industrial chemist are quite different jobs though, aren't they? (I did 18 months of a chem eng degree before deciding it wasn't for me).

I am a bit surprised that they are suggesting you apply to be a chemical engineer without you having any engineering experience.

Apply, don't lie about your qualifications, emphasise your experience.

100% apply for this. Most people are not a perfect fit for a role but are still capable.

Not so different, no. There's a lot of overlap. Industrial chemists perform/undergo processes to convert chemicals into final usable products whereas chemical engineers DESIGN these processes. So not exactly the same but certainly in the same neighbourhood!