“It couldn’t hurt to apply right?” Often people are ambitious when applying for jobs, and apply for higher positions than may be feasible. This can pay off, but where is the line between ambitious and careless?
Applying for a job a little out of your comfort zone can be very beneficial if a hiring manager can see your potential, but applying for a job when you don’t have any of the requirements, (i.e. software knowledge, minimum years of experience, etc.) can be detrimental.
What you need to keep in mind
If you meet about 85% of the qualifications or more, go ahead and apply, but if you meet significantly less of the requirements, it’s probably best not to apply for that position. Requirements are listed on job descriptions because they are necessary tools to accurately complete the job tasks. If you don’t have a lot of the skills or abilities listed in the job description, you likely will have a very hard time completing the job duties that are asked of you.
What applying to a job that’s out of your league suggests to hiring managers
If you apply to a job that is clearly out of your league or unrelated to your resume, this suggests two things to hiring managers.
- That you did not actually read the job description and you don’t have attention to detail
- Perhaps you did read the job description and requirements but you were careless about it, or you just applied to the position for the sake of applying, not because you really care and/or want the job.
Your intention may be good, but hiring managers rarely see your intention, just the result. If the result doesn’t portray you in a good light, chances are that you will negatively impact your reputation with that company.
What this means for future applications
Bad memories often stick out in the human brain, so if you reapply the same company to a position which you are qualified for, they may look back at your previous application and reject you simply because of your lack of attention to detail the first time around.
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Looking for a job is hard, but take a step back and fully read the job description and requirements to see if it is a position that is viable for you. If not, find something that is. Job applications are about quality, not quantity, and sticking to this is sure to pay off in the end.
Dear Michele
First, I do not know if this is to comment on the How Being Overconfident Can Hurt You When You Apply For Jobs, if not I apologise.
I would like to thank you for this worthy advice. I am one of those applicants who forward their resume with confidence that is not visible and surely tend to rub the recruitment and selection team wrongly. I am so happy I took the time to read your counsel and it has triggered an immediate change and I am worried on how am I viewed in most of these companies. Most probably as one who is just applying for the sake of forwarding a CV.
I appreciate your advice, all the best in your endeavours.
Thanks,
Siphelele
Hi Siphelele,
So glad you found this useful! This article was’t meant to scare you, so don’t be discouraged. The whole point is to keep things in perspective! Hope this helps!
Best,
Michele