Applying for job when you don't have 'essential' qualifications (but other experience etc)?

Look at it this way - if you don't apply, you definitely wont get the job!

Go for it! the worst they can do it say no!

So the stuff you don't have, do you want to learn it? Would you be flexible that you would go on a course for them if they paid/asked you to?

I would definetly apply for the job (I applied for a job in IT that I thought I had no chance of getting and ended up getting it) you never know they maybe able to help you with those qualifications and bring you up to scratch. However if you don't get the job or you don't get the interview ask for feedback, ask them what you can do to move in to this field.

I work for a local council, and I would say go for it. Do you have a job spec? Here, there is normally a list of essential/desirable criteria under headings such as 'Knowledge & Experience' 'Qualifications' etc. The big page that you have to sell yourself, do a one page typed up thing, following the headings on the job spec, print it off, and attach it where you have the space.

E.G Heading is 'Knowledge' and one point is Experience in dealing with managers. You write:

Knowledge
I have previously worked in roles where I had to work alongside managers blah blah

Does that make sense?

As for not having the relevant qualifications, I wouldn't worry too much. Try and relate to the job spec as much as you can. The chances are, everyone that applies won't have all the qualifications, and they have to rely on other aspects of the application to choose a short list.
I know that most members of my team got in not because of qualifications, but because of their enthusiasm and passion for the role.

I hope that helps. If you have any questions, I'll try and answer!

Definitely go for it. Whenever I've recruited in the past I've ended up compromising on the 'essentials' as there's been some great candidates but not ones that ticked every box.

Okay... I thought that 'essential' criteria were effectively that and, if you employ someone who doesn't meet them you'd leave yourself open to prosecution...

Although NI fair employment leg. is probably different.

Not the way we do it. We rank our criteria as 'essential' and 'desirable'. They are essential in our opinion for the role, but not essential in a legislative way. If we've got a choice between not recruiting at all or taking a good candidate with just the odd gap in the criteria, we would consider that as development opp for that candidate.

Although knowing the company I work for I wouldn't be surprised if that was all wrong ?

Go for it.

When I applied for the job here (local gov) I didnt get (but they loved me enough they made a job up for me ?) they wanted a degree in a relavent discipline, which I didnt have, but I had a degree that similar to yours could be related, so in the blurb I just talked up the degree. I know I got full marks for qualifications prior to interview (oh and the person who got the job didnt have a degree).

When you apply for LG jobs, they basically point score you on your personal statement against the criteria. So make sure in that you explain how you meet each point. There will be a target "pass mark" to be invited to interview. Even if you meet everything point for point but dont tell them well enough (they cant take inference), then you wont get an interview - however much they can see you can do it (We had someone we knew apply for a job from a different county, and his personal statement merely said, you know me and you know I can do the job, didn't even get an interview)

I would go for it and say you're prepared to take these qualifications.

Who would prosecute them? Me, for them hiring me without the 'essential' qualification? ? I chatted with my aunt (who works in Early Years for another council) and she was surprised they hadn't added "or equivalent" as that's normally what they have to do, to meet equal opportunities requirements.

I have the job spec - I can tick all the boxes, with examples, except for the 'essential' qualification bit. I should have added I will also mention if I apply that I am more than willing to look into taking relevant qualifications if required.

I know, I think I should just go for it as otherwise I'll never know - got nothing to lose, etc etc. It's just a bit scary!!! ?

If you employ someone that doesn't meet the essential criteria, then there would be good reason to do so. So you wouldn't need to worry about leaving yourself open to legal action or anything.

Obviously if someone applies for the same job, meets all the essential criteria, and is fantastic, then the OP won't get the job. But I wouldn't have thought that many people meet the essential criteria for the majority of jobs. The councils are known for being a bit flexible too.

In theory, anyone else who didn't my get the job. But especially someone who did meet the critera you didn't IYSWIM.

It was my impression that criteria described as essential were set in stone and a CV without those boxes ticked got circular filed. But that 'Desirables' were negotiable.

Not at all. I recruited quite often and it's just a way of targetting the right potential candidates. There is very little that isn't flexible. The only times I've rejected CVs out of hand, was about qualifications rather than experience - e.g. a truck driver without the right driving licence. Experience is always negotiable.!

I say apply! If you don't try, you definitely don't get!

Thanks all. Well I'm going to go for it. I've just printed off all the info I have including the job spec, and there's some bits in there that I've heard of but don't have that much knowledge of, so I've just googled and got myself a list of websites to read tonight/at home, and also searched the uni library and am just off to take out 3-4 books so I can read and bolster my knowledge. They won't be able to say I'm not keen, even if nothing else! There's also an 'Open Day' (it's a HUGE recruitment drive locally) a week tomorrow, so I'm going to go to that (still waiting on reply to any of my emails, last of which was to register for the open day and check if it's ok to take my own kids, as otherwise I can't really go - so fingers crossed that's ok). So I'll go to that, get reading, hope someone responds to my emails, big up my skills/experience on the form and go for it (closing day July 14th).

FWIW I've been offered a job before when I didn't meet the minimum experience level they were looking at (this was pre age discrimination laws). However they interviewed me anyway and decided to give me a go. The worst they can say is no.

Definitely apply!

I got my last job as a tenancy support officer with homeless clients after applying on the off chance, not thinking I'd get anywhere!

I then applied for the job I have now, thinking I was vastly underqualified and wouldn't stand a chance but stuck an app in at the last minute anyway!

Then, I applied to get on the Clinical Psychology doctorate course, again thinking I had nowhere near enough experience and it was probably a waste of time, but guess what? I start in September!!!

So in my book, if you think you can show that you can fulfill the criteria in some way, by fitting the experience you have to what they are looking for, then go for it! All you have to lose is the time you spent filling in the form at the end of the day and you never know, you might just get lucky!

It is slightly different in local government where you have to meet a minimum points score - not nec meet all the essentials and desirables, but enough to take you over the threshold

Go for it! I used to do a lot of recruitment and I would often list essential skills so that I don't get a load of time wasters and my advert targets the right kind of people. If you are a close fit in other ways, I'd interview you and if we had a good rapport and I thought you could do the job well, I'd employ you, no question.

Just another thought - it's probably a good idea in your app, as well as saying how your experience and qualifications are relevant, to state that you would be willing to undertake any further training that the job requires. They might then consider employing you with the condition that you go on to complete a further qualification like the NVQ.

Are you going to stick around if you're hired is something most employers want to know. All these questions will gauge your interest in making a commitment.