I read a great blog the other day, “You have the skills, but lack the experience.” I love the title. I wish I had written it. So I am writing my own perspective on the topic.
Barry is a recent client. After 15+ years in a manufacturing role on the production floor he went back to finish college to become a Production Supervisor. He struggled a bit when he read the job advertisements because the ads asked for 2 to 5 years of experience. He thought companies might not want to hire him because he does not have any experience yet as a production supervisor.
Another client, Sandy, is an engineer with the Federal government who is interested in moving into private sector. She worried that she did not have the right experience and private sector companies would not find her experience valuable.
This reaction is not unusual. I hear this all the time from job seekers and people seeking promotions.
What do you do when your background and experience doesn’t exactly match the company’s stated requirements? You revise your presentation so your background and experience matches. Sometimes all it takes is a different perspective.
Let’s look at Barry and Sandy’s situation from a different perspective.
Barry has many years of manufacturing experience. He mentored and trained other machine operators. He prepared reports and identified ways to reduce cost and scrap. That counts, doesn’t it? I think he undermines himself. I would love to have had a Production Supervisor with actual production floor experience. Such a person could understand employees and solve problems more easily than someone with no floor experience at all.
Companies are looking for people who can think and have had experiences that make the organization run more smoothly. By looking beyond the stated number of years of experience, we can see that Production Supervisors mentor people, work with teams, handle reports, and reduce scrap costs. Barry might not have had 3 to 5 years of supervisory experience but his manufacturing experience translates and has value.
Sandy has valuable project manager experience, often balancing several multi-million dollar projects at the same time, bringing them to completion on time and under budget. This experience is directly applicable in the private sector even though she does not have private sector work experience as required by an ad.
By looking at your experience in a different way and stepping back from the strict requirements in a job ad, you can draw a line between the responsibilities and your experiences to demonstrate how you are a great candidate for the job!
You must be confident. No one should be able to stop your forward progress with something as silly as a simple requirement. How bad do you want this position? Find someone to talk to instead of relying on responding to an advertisement. Stop taking no for an answer!
What do you say to people who let outside factors stop their job search in the tracks? How can we help each other stay positive?
Share your thoughts at our LinkedIn Group, Job Search Check-Up.
Sharri U sent a note the other day proudly sharing that she got a job!