Did you ever watch some of the shows on HGTV such as First Time Homebuyers or Property Virgins? I am an HGTV fanatic and I love those shows because they make me laugh. The host/hostess starts off by asking the buyer about their “wish list”. You see them go through their wants such as 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a large yard, a garage, a pool and so on – as if the sky is the limit. Then they say and “our budget is.” some ridiculously low amount. I can’t help but laugh when they do that. As the show goes on, the host/hostess takes the buyer to at least three different properties and you get to listen to their comments as they walk through. By the time the buyer makes a decision, they realize that maybe their wish list wasn’t very practical and they end up buying a place that has most of the features from their wish list.
That seems to the same concept that employers use when looking for job candidates. The employer publishes a job posting with a huge “wish list”. Especially in the technical world – an employe
r indicates that they want say a business analyst to have 5+ years experience in Oracle, UNIX, SQL, Access, Database design, Visio, requirement management tool experience, use cases, technical writing and the list goes on. Come on – seriously – who has ALL of the requirements the employer is seeking? Maybe a handful of folks but then they are probably not job hunting! The employer knows that they are not going to find a candidate with all of the qualifications they are seeking. However, the employer is seeking as many of the qualifications as possible the same as the house buyer is trying to find as many of their wish list features as possible.
So, if you are a job seeker, do not be afraid to apply for a position where the qualifications are greater than your skill set. An employer will usually compile a list of qualifications and experience for a position that is over and above what they really need. Why do they do this? Well, the same as with the home buyer – they simply want to weed out the undesirables from the desirables. The requirements are simply a wish list for the employer and a general guide for the job seeker. A good rule of thumb is if you meet a larger percentage of the requirements, apply for the job.
The bottom line is that employers hire people they like the same as home buyers buy houses they like even if all of the qualifications/features from their wish list have not been met.
That seems to the same concept that employers use when looking for job candidates. The employer publishes a job posting with a huge “wish list”. Especially in the technical world – an employe
r indicates that they want say a business analyst to have 5+ years experience in Oracle, UNIX, SQL, Access, Database design, Visio, requirement management tool experience, use cases, technical writing and the list goes on. Come on – seriously – who has ALL of the requirements the employer is seeking? Maybe a handful of folks but then they are probably not job hunting! The employer knows that they are not going to find a candidate with all of the qualifications they are seeking. However, the employer is seeking as many of the qualifications as possible the same as the house buyer is trying to find as many of their wish list features as possible.So, if you are a job seeker, do not be afraid to apply for a position where the qualifications are greater than your skill set. An employer will usually compile a list of qualifications and experience for a position that is over and above what they really need. Why do they do this? Well, the same as with the home buyer – they simply want to weed out the undesirables from the desirables. The requirements are simply a wish list for the employer and a general guide for the job seeker. A good rule of thumb is if you meet a larger percentage of the requirements, apply for the job.
The bottom line is that employers hire people they like the same as home buyers buy houses they like even if all of the qualifications/features from their wish list have not been met.
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