killbilly
Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
After reading through this discussion and the various opinions in this thread, I wanted to share some additional thoughts/insight I've gained here: the salient point was the idea of applying for a job you're obviously not qualified for.
I took this idea to four executives at my company - guys with heavy scar tissue in entrepreneurial areas, who have managed large workforces for decades and have interviewed hundreds of applicants over the years.
The consensus was that when you apply for a job you're not qualified for, you're gambling on the screener/hiring manager's willingness to be flexible and creative. Generally, it's not a good idea, because most of the time you'll get weeded out right off the bat. But sometimes, a hiring manager may have more latitude than the job description and may, at his discretion, take another look at you if there is something mitigating in the resume or application.
In short, it's a gamble. They also agreed that it depends on the kind of job at hand. In the case of the position I'm trying to fill, those basic qualifications are a hard line I have to toe, because I do not have the resources to train a telephony field engineer from the ground up.
In pilot-speak, we're not able to do ab-initio.
So. I will concede the point that applying for something you're not qualified for can, indeed, pay off. But it's a long-odds gamble.
Good luck to all of you seeking jobs. I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that every time I have to reject a resume, it bothers me a bit. I am fully cognizant that these are real people, with real needs and a real desire to work. I take no pleasure from having to tell an applicant no, or an outright rejection.
I took this idea to four executives at my company - guys with heavy scar tissue in entrepreneurial areas, who have managed large workforces for decades and have interviewed hundreds of applicants over the years.
The consensus was that when you apply for a job you're not qualified for, you're gambling on the screener/hiring manager's willingness to be flexible and creative. Generally, it's not a good idea, because most of the time you'll get weeded out right off the bat. But sometimes, a hiring manager may have more latitude than the job description and may, at his discretion, take another look at you if there is something mitigating in the resume or application.
In short, it's a gamble. They also agreed that it depends on the kind of job at hand. In the case of the position I'm trying to fill, those basic qualifications are a hard line I have to toe, because I do not have the resources to train a telephony field engineer from the ground up.
In pilot-speak, we're not able to do ab-initio.
So. I will concede the point that applying for something you're not qualified for can, indeed, pay off. But it's a long-odds gamble.
Good luck to all of you seeking jobs. I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that every time I have to reject a resume, it bothers me a bit. I am fully cognizant that these are real people, with real needs and a real desire to work. I take no pleasure from having to tell an applicant no, or an outright rejection.
