This is a long write but its worth the patience because it gives great clues on this work experience thing. It goes:

You’re scanning the career sites
online and come across your
ultimate dream job. It’s perfect,
and you want it. Bad.
But wait—they’re looking for
someone with 10+ years experience
who’s managed a large team, and
they prefer people with MBAs. And
while you have great experience,
you definitely don’t have those
things. Should you apply, or would it
just be a waste of everyone’s time
when you don’t have what the
position is really asking for?
The short answer is, it depends.
Here’s some advice to consider that
will help you figure out when to go
for it, and how to make sure your
resume doesn’t get tossed out at
first glance if you do.
First of all, it’s important to reflect
on just how underqualified you are.
Companies make this tricky
sometimes. On the one hand, don’t
assume
you need to fulfill 100% of the
requirements—these are often
created simply to weed out people
who are totally inappropriate. The
supposed requirements also help
give candidates an idea of the
position’s general level of seniority.
But look around—a lot of people in
their current roles wouldn’t fulfill
every criteria that’s listed in the
job description, so take it with a
pinch of salt, and definitely go for
it even if you’re not a cookie cutter
fit for the description. I’ve seen a
lot of instances when a job will be
flexed up or down to fit a great
candidate. Of course, every
company is different with this sort
of thing, but don’t rule yourself out
of the race unnecessarily.
If, on the other hand, the job
would be a huge jump up (they’re
looking for 10 years of experience,
you have two), your energy is
probably better spent on positions
that are a closer fit. Or, you can
try a different approach
altogether: Instead of directly
applying for the role that’s posted,
send a speculative application to the
company. Acknowledge that the
position that caught your eye is
geared toward someone more
senior, but explain your interest and
say that you’d be interested in
joining the team in another
capacity. No, it won’t always work,
but remember that up to to 80% of
jobs filled are not advertised, so
don’t underestimate this strategy in
your job search.

If you’ve decided to apply, great!
But whenever you’re putting
yourself forward for a role that’s a
bit of a stretch, you have to put in
some extra legwork. If this truly is
a job you’d love, though, and it’s
something you think you could be
great at, it’s worth it. Here are a
few ideas to try.

1. Bridge the Gaps
If the description includes a long
list of requirements that you’re
concerned you don’t have, identify
the different areas—knowledge,
skills, or experiences—and consider
what other things you bring to the
table that will help put you on an
equal footing. For example, maybe
you haven’t managed people at work,
but you did manage a team of
volunteers through a charity you’re
involved with. Or maybe there are
certain things you can get started
working on right away.
Find ways to highlight these skills
and experiences in your resume or
cover letter so that the hiring
managers know you understand the
position and what they’re looking
for.

2. Don’t Tell Them You’d Be
Great, Show Them
An even better way to let the hiring
manager know you’d excel in the
position is to show exactly what you
can do. In addition to your cover
letter, write a memo that outlines
what you think the major challenges
of the role would be and how you’d
tackle them. Or, create a slide deck
with ideas that you’d bring to the
role to grow the business. This
above-and-beyond effort won’t only
show off your skills, it’ll show you’re
serious about the role—and force
the hiring managers to look at you
as a serious candidate.

3. Find a Connection
Finally, don’t forget the power of
networking: See if you have a
contact who can make a personal
introduction to someone at the
organization. If that’s not an option,
you can try a cold approach, too. For
instance, see if the hiring manager
is speaking at an upcoming event,
and make plans to attend and
introduce yourself. Or, if the
company’s founder was featured in
a newspaper article recently, reach
out with a question or comment and
see if you can connect with him or
her to start building a relationship.
Next time you see that dream job
that seems just out of your reach,
don’t write yourself off. Getting an
interview is as much an art as it is a
science—so start strategizing, and
give it what you’ve got.


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