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Dear Daughter just joined her school’s very selective “book club”, usually reserved to classes above her kindergarten level. When I asked her how she got in, she simply smiled and said: “Mommy, I just asked!”. Duh…In her cute little brain, there was no thinking she was too young, inexperienced or under-qualified. She wanted to do something new and challenging, and she just went for it. What would happen if we just went for exciting things, like jobs we’re not necessarily qualified for, or responsibilities that are a bit above our heads?

Many of us, especially as women, tend to back away from jobs we’re not fully qualified for. Research shows women won’t go for a job unless they’re fully qualified, while men will apply for a new position as long as they meet at least 60% of the requirements. Interviewing for a job we don’t have enough experience or credentials for paralyzes us. Never mind getting the job at all…

Yet, at the end of the day, we all want to challenge ourselves to push past our limits. And that includes not being bored to death sitting at the same cubicle, doing the same job day in and day out:

1. Just Do It! Apply for that seemingly out-of-reach position. You will never win the lottery if you don’t play, and you may not score the gig of your life if you don’t apply. Perfect your resume, take a deep breath, and click the Send button! What have you got to lose?

2. Show progress and (good) attitude in your resume! Your resume will initially speak for you, so let it promote your professional brand. You may not have the extensive experience required, or the preferred certification. Yet, ensure your resume clearly shows progress in responsibilities and functions. Emphasize supervisory functions and ones that show initiative and progress!

3. Be honest! One of the mistakes candidates make when applying for a position they may not be qualified for, is over-inflate their current qualifications. Do not set unrealistic expectations you may not be able to fulfill! You have to strike a balance between not selling yourself short and over-selling yourself. Emphasize what you do know, recognize what you don’t and be open to learning. Instead of just saying “I don’t know”, use phrases like “I’d be willing to learn”, or “I did do something similar in my prior experience”, for instance.

4. Do something different! When aiming for different results, use different techniques! Set yourself apart from the crowd by doing something different! Send an original hand-written thank you note, make a video resume (as long as it’s accepted in the field you’re applying in), try and meet your prospective boss for coffee (please no stalking).

5. Leverage your uniqueness! You may have unique talents that can bring an added edge to your performance. If you blog on the side and can help set up a departmental newsletter, bring that up! If you’ve taken public speaking classes and would love to put them to use in your new role, say it! A friend of mine even told the hiring manager for a job she was applying for his team would perform better with more gender diversity! Ballsy, yes, but she got the job!

How would you go about landing a job above your qualifications?

The Corporate Sis.