Dear Cindy – Not 100% Qualified

I've seen a job that sounds interesting, but I'm not 100% qualified for it. Should I apply?

Sincerely,

Go for it?

What percentage of the required qualifications do you have – 95%? 50%? 5%?

In judging whether to apply, consider how close you are to what they're looking for and the seriousness of what you're lacking. For example, is the qualification you're lacking a clincher, such as "must be an RN in this state" and you're an RNA in another state (as opposed to being days from graduating from an RN program in any state)? Is it something like "must be bilingual English/French" and you're not? In such cases: Don't apply.

What about "almosts"? Suppose an ad says, "current ACLS required" and yours has expired but you're enrolled in the next ACLS class, which starts in a couple of weeks – apply and let them know the situation. Similarly, if an ad says "three years of experience required" and you have two and a bit, apply.

And certainly if it's something like "must have excellent organizational ability" and you have pretty strong organizational abilities but wouldn't call yourself excellent, apply!

Ultimately it comes down to being reasonable. If you are too "far gone," do not apply, because it just wastes your time and theirs.