Even in a bad economy, applying to jobs you aren’t qualified for is counterproductive; it distracts you from higher-yield activities and subjects you to unnecessary rejection that hurts your confidence.
The best approach lies somewhere in between these two tactics. There will be jobs in other industries that can immediately use your transferable skills, such as leadership, data analysis, project management or customer service, but you’ll have to demonstrate a fairly close connection between your capabilities and their unique needs. Otherwise, it may not be worth the effort spent on applying for the role.
As a first step, thoroughly check the company’s job posting for any key words or phrases that may need to be incorporated into how you describe your skills. Work to match the language used in the posting as much as possible because this will help you align with the company’s expectations. Don’t be afraid to ask for direct and honest feedback on both the content and the format of your résumé. These small adjustments can go a long way in helping recruiters see that you are indeed qualified and would fit into their industry.No company wants to hire employees that see their job as little more than a paycheck. Employers are hoping to find people that are highly engaged and who will see value in the work they are doing.