How to land a Job in Jamaica if I am under-qualified?
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Don’t apply for jobs that you are grossly
unqualified for but remember that job postings are just the employers’ wish list.
They don’t always get what they wish for. If you see a Job that requires ten years of experience and a
masters degree when you only have 0-2 years and a bachelors degree or lower, obviously
that jobs is not for you. There obviously is a reason why the job requires a
decade of experience and a graduate degree. I would recommend that you stick
with the jobs that require four years of experience maximum and a bachelor’s
degree or lower.
Many of you that are reading
this are probably just like me. You have seen a job that you are so confident
that you can do but have become discouraged by the 3-5 years of work experience
that is required. It may even be the case that you have the experience but not
the education or training that is required. You then say to yourself that you
have no hope with this job. What I have learnt from friends and other professionals
is that, you have nothing to lose if you apply. You luckily may be the best
candidate and the employers have no other choice but to call you for an
interview. However, here are a few tips that can increase our chances of
landing an interview.
Identify
all your skills that can be transferred to the job. You may not have all the qualifications required
for a given job, but chances are you possess a skill set that contains
abilities needed for job. Identify these skills that are relevant to the job
and emphasize them in your cover letter. Common skills may include
Communication, leadership, teamwork and interpersonal skills.
Highlight school and other unpaid experience. You may have no paid experience in the field, but you have some
applicable education and/or unpaid experience. If you are a University graduate
I am sure that you have received some hands-on experience during you years of study.
Try to remember all the coursework and projects you have done that could be
relevant to the position. Never be afraid to state these as they are valuable
and they all add up. Let me give you another example of valuable unpaid
experience. Let’s say there is a
job opening that requires you to have 3 years of supervisory work experience. Stop
for a second and try to identify all the situations during your life where you
where a leader. What have you learnt from them? What were you able to
accomplish? How many people were you in charge of? These leadership positions
can be for clubs, projects or any other activities. The more you can identify
the better. After you have identified these, be sure to highlight them in your
cover letter and tell the employer clearly how they could be applied to the
position. Remember to always state your accomplishments!
Always display your willingness and flexibility
to learn or gain more training. Regardless of your strong belief that you can do the job, always state
that you are willing to be trained or continue learning. Never try to act like
a ‘know it all’ because in fact, there will be things that you will need to
learn. Companies may not necessarily do things the way you know how to.