The CEO of Human Workplace recently addressed a conundrum a lot of people get when they're job hunting: what to do when you are qualified for the job, but not on paper.
Liz Ryan wrote in her Forbes article that what you have to do during these instances is to look for a connection. It may not be clear, may not be shining out to you like a beacon—but a connection is there.
Get inside the manager's head.
When applying for a position or a role, think about who the hiring manager is, writes Ryan. What problems is he likely facing in his job?
For Ryan, you must get inside the manager's head in order to write him a Pain Letter. Click here to read more about Pain Letters.
How do you get inside the hiring manager's head? Ryan suggests that you visit his LinkedIn profile in order to get a sense of him.
You can visit his profile on the company's website as well (if he has one) and try to understand the business and his department. Through it, you can picture out the problems he may be facing and write to him about how you can help.
Look back.
A clear relationship between your previous jobs and the one you are interested in may not be apparent at first glance. But the problems the hiring manager is facing may be similar to the one you have solved in the past, says Ryan.
This necessitates looking back to your various work experiences in an attempt to establish a connection between your past and your future jobs. Use those past experiences in your Pain Letter.
According to Ryan, "Choose two or three experiences in your past that sync up with the pain you are proposing to relieve."
Consider your talents and skills.
You have talents and skills that you used in your previous employment. What were they? How can they help your prospective new employer?
These are other kinds of connections that you must identify. Once again, think of potential areas where your talents can be of use.
You may not be qualified on paper, but when it comes to your skills and what you can offer, you can make a difference. Read Ryan's full article here.
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