Ask the Recruiter

Q. Sometimes when I am looking at job postings, I find that they list specific qualifications that I don't have. For example, they may say they want someone with at least three years of newsroom experience, and I only have two. Or they will be looking for someone who has expert Photoshop skills, and mine are

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merely basic. But, on occasion, despite my shortcomings, the job may seem like a reasonably good fit for me.

My question: Will applying for jobs that ask for some qualifications I don't have irritate editors and recruiters? Is it acceptable, in your view, to apply so long as I have most of the qualifications they ask for?

In the Ballpark

A. If you think you are close to what they are looking for -- and especially if you have additional qualifications that were not mentioned -- I would apply.

You have probably heard the expression that no one is perfect. That can apply to hiring, too.

Joe Grimm

While media companies can't compromise on some qualifications, we often find in the selection process that no one neatly matches our needs -- and that some people bring qualities we weren't looking for, but are happy to find.

Use judgment. If the posting asks for four years of beat reporting experience and you have just three -- but they have been really good years, apply.

If the ad calls for video editing on the Avid platform and you have worked only in Final Cut Pro, I would resist.

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Coming Tuesday: This student loves science writing and reads a lot of science journalism. He asks how he can become a science writer himself.

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