What To Do When You Are Underqualified For The Position

… under-qualified… or at least you feel like you are. I mean why else would you not have received the position right.

Hearing the news

You’ve had the interview, heard the call, received the email, and opened that letter. Finally you hear, in oh so many words:

Thank you for your interest in While your skills and abilities are very impressive We have decided to pursue other candidates Blah, blah, blah

You pause. Brace yourself for whatever reaction you may not be ready for yourself. Your eyes may kind of well-up. Yet you’re strong. You’ve been here before. You will move on, you will continue.

Regardless of the point in your life or how you may have heard the news, we all can relate. Every job seeker, fresh college grad, long/short-term contract employee, and/or the unemployed generational ____________ (place any trendy term here) has been through it.

Weâ’re all in the same boat

While you need to stick to who you are, focus your resume, skills and core competencies in this very tight and tunnel visioned market; you also need to be flexible to the changes that you may face. It does not matter what point you are in your life or career. What age or experience you have. You, me, we, they are all in the same boat.

That was the position I was meant for. I was perfect.

It doesn’t matter there are a thousand other people that feel the exact same way you do. Question is, what are you gonna do about it?

Unemployment isn’t cutting it (where applicable).

Will it ever? Let’s face it. You’re starting to get bored with the routine. Getting up and looking at the aggregate engines at 1pm. Annoyed with adjusting and re-adjusting your resume. You create and revamp the revamp of your top companies. Making calls to contacts, and contacting contacts of contacts. Heading out to the new, used, and slightly over worn network meetings. It’s a typical feeling but keep at it! Sometimes the only thing that can keep you motivated is the routine. At least you are meeting great people and you are not dead yet!

You can tell a lot about the character of a person by how they treat those who can do nothing for them.

Experience still matters

We all have experience whether it is 10-20 years or 1-6 years. The thing is that you, now more than ever, have to articulate specific skills to the specific job that you will be good at and that can also translate for the employer. You have to be quick, concise and to the point while showing you are better than the rest. Above all you have to help them understand on paper, phone and in-person; why you should be selected over everyone else. If you don’t know something, take the time to learn about and practice it. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Or you could just look on the job boards, click send and pray.

Are you in this situation? Tell me what your routine is, how you have approached it in your past, or any recommendations or advice you would give?

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Benjamin McCall is an HR practitioner with specializations in Change Management, Communications, OD, and Learning & Development. His passion for aligning the functions of HR with the strategies of business is evident through his blog ReThinkHR.org where he writes about management, leadership, networking and his love for family and golf! Follow him on Twitter: @BenjaminMcCall