job requirements

[Tober138]

Originally Posted by andywire

I have noticed the very same trend. People are applying to any job they feel they are even remotely qualified for.

And all these people are doing is clogging up the system and are part of the reason some companies no longer respond to every applicant - because so many people are applying to jobs they have no hope of ever getting. They are just wasting everyone's time, including their own.

Originally Posted by kodaka

Regardless of the reason, if you are interested in the job, you have nothing to lose by applying.

Nothing to lose, but nothing to gain either if you are woefully under-qualified.

The only time it makes sense to apply for a job for which one is not 100% qualified is if the position is the next logical step in your career. For example, if you have a few years as a Widget-Maker, it makes sense to apply for a job elsewhere as a Sr. Widget-Maker. You may not have done that specific job before, and may be a little deficient on requirements, but many companies may see you as someone who can come in and apply their skills and work their way up (at the lower end of the salary range, of course).

[kodaka]

Originally Posted by Tober138

And all these people are doing is clogging up the system and are part of the reason some companies no longer respond to every applicant - because so many people are applying to jobs they have no hope of ever getting. They are just wasting everyone's time, including their own.



Nothing to lose, but nothing to gain either if you are woefully under-qualified.

The only time it makes sense to apply for a job for which one is not 100% qualified is if the position is the next logical step in your career. For example, if you have a few years as a Widget-Maker, it makes sense to apply for a job elsewhere as a Sr. Widget-Maker. You may not have done that specific job before, and may be a little deficient on requirements, but many companies may see you as someone who can come in and apply their skills and work their way up (at the lower end of the salary range, of course).

Or if you are not interested in a step up but rather in a step sideways--into a related job with a different focus. Or if you are interested in using the skills you have but are more interested in the company culture, quality of life, or location than in a career advancement.

There are a lot of reasons for applying for jobs. Careers aren't necessarily linear.

[mash potato]

Originally Posted by bustaduke

I hire and let people go every day and can tell you that 99% of the people I hire don't have a clue how to do the job.

I'm very surpised to hear that the interview process didn't catch that! Did you hire them with the intention of showing them how to do the job? If not, do you keep those people?