Apply for jobs you have the experience to do

1) For senior roles I pretty much know who I want to speak with on the market and
2) I get bombarded with CVs from people who either have no relevant experience for the role or are still a few years short of taking on such a role…..

Let me give you an example. If I advertise say on LinkedIn the position of Senior Asset Manager, I can guarantee you, without fail I will get half a dozen CVs from Facilities Managers.

Now again, I’m not knocking the ambitions of a Facility Manager but the question I ask myself is , does this person have the current relevant experience to be a Senior Asset Manager?` The answer is usually No.

People move jobs usually because they want to advance their careers on to the next level. If you apply for a job which you feel is the next natural step on the career ladder for you then that’s absolutely fine, you are entitled to give it your best shot.

The good news is that in many cases the company will recognise the development potential of that person and will be prepared to train them in the elements of the role they don’t currently have. On the other hand, however, if you are trying to jump 2 or 3 rungs up on the ladder then you are not applying enough realism to your ambition cocktail.

So when you see a job advertised that you find interesting I suggest following these steps.

1) Read the job description. When you`ve done that, read it again, and again.
2) Then ask yourself, do I have the current experience required for this role?

If the answer is No, then ask yourself, do I have at least 80% of what is required for the role? If the answer is still No then I suggest moving on. Don’t waste your time or the recipients time.

3) If the answer is Yes to the above question then by all means send your CV.

If the answer is Yes but only 80% then be honest, tell them that you don’t have practical experience with some of the requirements but you have a good understanding of the theoretical knowledge which you probably should have anyway.