Faking it. We’ve all been there.

No, not there. Come on, guys. Mind out of the gutter, back on the sidewalk ok?

We’ve all seen a job posting that is SO perfect. You’re scrolling down the page getting more and more excited. You practically have your interview outfit picked out.

And then…

Ugh. “Must be BLANK.” “Applicants with BLANK experience strongly preferred.”

Ugh ugh ugh. You’re pissed. You would have been perfect. It would have been perfect. Life would have been perfect.

But wait…should you give up on your career dreams because of one lousy prerequisite? Should you still apply?

Short answer: yes. Unless you’re WAY off (like it says “requires a medical degree” or “prior brain surgeon experience a plus”) it doesn’t hurt to still throw the application their way. You could also always take some time to actually learn that particular skill so you can say that you’re making the effort when and if you’re called in to interview. Chances are, if one job is hoping for applicants to have, say, Photoshop experience, then another one will as well.

Don’t shy away just because you might not fit 100 percent. There’s still time to brush up on your skills before you start.

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Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is a PR & Media Outreach Manager. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

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