How to 'gloss over' lack of essential criteria?

[lennonj]

I've been trying to change jobs for a year now. I generally feel I can only apply when I meet all of the essential criteria but I've seen a job I'm really interested in, have plenty of the other essential criteria but am missing a couple.

It's for a carer adviser and I don't have work experience in this field, I have some personal experience but am sure that as in previous roles I could soon pick up the knowledge needed as I've done some quite diverse jobs. I think I could explain it that way in my form but don't want to come across as undermining the knowledge and experience of their staff by saying I'll just pick it up as I go along!
Any advice on how to I mention the criteria but don't make it too glaringly obvious about my lack of experience?

When is the deadline? Is there time in which you could arrange a few hours of "virtual" work shadowing (essentially this would take the form of an extended Teams meeting in which you were basically eavesdropping on their daily routine) with someone who does work in the field? If you can only make that happen after the application deadline but before the interview dates that is ok, you can claim it. Can you big-up your informal experience in guiding younger relations and acquaintances in their career choices? It is worth applying certainly.

Your lack of experience will be glaringly obvious - the person reading your application is not stupid. Don't tell them their essential criteria is not important or incorrect - it won't go down well! Acknowledge your lack of direct experience, try and demonstrate your interest in the role, how you hope to gain the knowledge what other skills you can bring to the job. We employed someone who failed to meet one of our essential criteria - he was outstanding on other aspects that other applicants scored very low on, so we felt we could plug his knowledge gap - we will still have to employ someone to plug the gap, so we couldn't ignore the criteria a second time but for the right person - exceptions will always be made. Good luck!

When I didn't meet all the criteria in my current job I accepted the gap, and highlighted some related experience I felt demonstrated I would be able to adapt and learn.

I got the job.

I've heard women apply for jobs they know they can do. Men apply for jobs they think they can do.

My "mentor" (male) has shown me a whole new way of approaching job hunting, I'm much neckier now and don't take job specs too literally. And that's with the civil service who have quite strict criteria for recruitment, but if they like you, and you can demonstrate transferability they won't be black and white with experience. I know when I hire that experience can often be learned, and not to underestimate the worth of "unrelated" experience. Some of my best hires were people from very different job backgrounds.

@changingnames786

When I didn't meet all the criteria in my current job I accepted the gap, and highlighted some related experience I felt demonstrated I would be able to adapt and learn.

I got the job.

I've heard women apply for jobs they know they can do. Men apply for jobs they think they can do.

My "mentor" (male) has shown me a whole new way of approaching job hunting, I'm much neckier now and don't take job specs too literally. And that's with the civil service who have quite strict criteria for recruitment, but if they like you, and you can demonstrate transferability they won't be black and white with experience. I know when I hire that experience can often be learned, and not to underestimate the worth of "unrelated" experience. Some of my best hires were people from very different job backgrounds.

I agree - we have just hired someone and one of his best skills is something we weren't even looking for - we didn't even think about it - it wasn't till later when I picked up on a loose thread about something he casually mentioned in the interview that we uncovered the gem - people are amazingly varied.

I've heard women apply for jobs they know they can do. Men apply for jobs they think they can do.

THAT. Think like a bloke. In personal statement, talk about what you can do that means you will be able to do the job they described (is how you 'gloss over'). Even if the stated recruitment policy is you must meet all essential criteria -- that may not be followed in reality. So if you know you can do it, then I'd talk up whatever you do offer that is basically the same skillset as what they said they wanted or shows you can acquire those skills.