Written by Brian Skory, Tech Talent Manager of Stout Systems
I'd like to give you a little insight into the pre-Covid mind of a hiring manager.
Step 1. The hiring manager posts a job description.
Step 2. A few days later, he or she is staring down a pile of resumes so tall they're not sure how they are going to get through all of them.
Step 3. The hiring manager starts looking for any reason to say "no" so that they can discard a resume and whittle the pile down to something a bit more manageable. No C# listed? Discard. Too many typos? Discard. A not-so-friendly profile pic on your LinkedIn page? Discard. You get the idea.
But times have changed.
Post-Covid the available talent pool is significantly less populated, and thousands of hiring managers are desperate to fill their open roles. What this means for you is that never has there been a time when meeting every requirement on a job description was less important. Obviously, you still need to be someone who will bring value to that open position, but these days there is often a fair amount of wiggle room when it comes to the requirements.
For example, if the role calls for someone who is at a senior level, you’ve got a good chance at convincing them that as a mid-level developer who has demonstrated strong and rapid career growth, you’re actually a value proposition. Or maybe you’re not the React developer the job description is calling for, but if you can demonstrate a history of successfully learning and using other JavaScript libraries, they may be highly willing to bring you on and give you some time to come up to speed on React.
Here are some areas we think are great opportunities for deviation from the job description.
- Doesn’t quite meet the required years of experience
- Meets most but not all of the required technical skills, and can make a case for quickly learning something new
- Hasn’t completed a required certification, but is in process
- Hasn’t completed a required degree, but is graduating soon
- Hasn’t worked in a required industry, but comes from a background that shares similarities
Obviously, what you say about yourself must be true AND you have to be able to document (preferably on your resume) your accomplishments in those areas. But the point is, with talent being as scarce as it is, most hiring managers are willing to flex.
It has not been easy for companies to deal with the declining labor force. You are actually helping these companies out by taking advantage of the increased opportunities that are now available to you.
If you're looking for work, please submit your resume or browse our job board to determine if you are a match for a job that we have available. We host free career webinars every week - visit our event calendar to RSVP!
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