Should I apply if I only meet 60% of the requirements?
Efri · 1 min readYes.
- 1.Job descriptions are wishlists, not requirements
- 2.Almost nobody meets all of it, including the person who eventually gets hired
- 3.If you meet most of the core things and you can learn the rest, apply
- 4.What actually matters is whether you can do the main job
Job descriptions are wishlists, not requirements. They're usually written by combining what the last person did, what the team wishes they had, and whatever the hiring manager was annoyed about that week.
Almost nobody meets all of it, including the person who eventually gets hired.
If you meet most of the core things and you can learn the rest, apply.
What actually matters is whether you can do the main job. If the role is 70% something you're strong at and 30% something you've never touched, that's fine. Say so directly rather than hoping nobody notices.
The exception: if the thing you're missing is the actual centre of the job, that's not a gap, that's a different job. Don't apply for a senior role in a language you've never written.
And notice who this question mostly comes from. People who already meet 80% and are talking themselves out of it. The ones who apply at 50% and are wildly confident never ask.