資格不夠，也能勝任職位？

Read on for your three-step plan.

只需三步：

Step 1: Ask yourself if you could do the job

第一步：問問自己，能夠勝任這份工作

Notice that I didn't suggest asking, "Do you want the job?" or even, "How much do you want the job?" Honestly, those questions are irrelevant. It doesn't matter how passionate you are about working in a foreign language — if the job requires translating documents, and you're only conversational, you're not qualified. Similarly, it doesn't matter how fascinating you find a company: You shouldn't apply for a job running its website if you don't have any of the technical skills required.

請注意，筆者並不是讓你問自己：“我需要這份工作嗎？”或“我有多想獲得這個工作機會？”等問題。說實話，這些問題都完全沒有關係。無論你使用外語工作時多麼熱誠——如果這份工作需要你翻譯文件，而你只是能說會道的，那你還不夠資格勝任。同樣的，也無論你找到一家多麼厲害的公司，因爲你沒有任何所需的技術技能，你做的也是無用功。

Instead, read through the job description and try to get a sense of what someone in the role would do each day. In your mind, break out "public relations experience" into writing press releases, pitching media and representing a brand. Think of "writing experience" as the ability to write concisely, persuasively and with proper grammar.

相反，把工作要求認真通讀一遍，並嘗試想象該職位每天的工作是怎樣的。在你的腦海裏，頭腦風暴：從“處理公共關係經驗”到新聞撰稿，到從事媒體工作，再到代言一個品牌。想想“撰稿經歷”可以使稿件更精確，有說服力而且文體語法又得當。

After you've worked through the job description in this way, you'll have a more accurate sense of what you have to offer versus what skills you may be lacking.

當你用這樣的方法通讀完招聘要求的時候，你就對於自己所擁有的技能而不是缺少的技能有一個更深刻的瞭解了。

Step 2: Ignore "bonus" requirements

第二步：無視“額外”的要求

Some requirements are listed because they "sound good." For example, I once edited a job description to remove the words "from a prestigious university" from after "bachelors degree." (Yes, sadly, this a true story — someone on the team had thought those words would make the job seem impressive. Moreover, what was the person in charge of hiring going to do — purchase the latest copy of U.S. News & World Report) Occasionally, ridiculous phrasing happens to good descriptions because someone on the team thinks it "sounds good," but that's no reason not to apply.

有些要求列在招聘要求上是因爲它們“聽起來很不錯”。例如，筆者曾經編輯一份招聘啓事，把“名牌大學畢業的”字眼從“學士”前移除。（沒錯，很遺憾的這是一個真實的故事——團隊中的某些人會認爲這樣的字眼可以加深別人對這份工作的印象。再者，負責招聘的主管，購買了《美國新聞與世界報告》的最新版本》）偶爾地，一些看似荒謬的詞組也會成爲很好的職位描述，因爲團隊中有人會認爲這“聽起來很不錯”，但也不是沒有申請這個職位的道理。

Another way companies flub the job descriptionis by listing requirements for a "dream applicant" — e.g. a laundry list of advanced computer skills for a job that primarily requires hands-on interaction with kids. But truthfully, companies aren't going to stall the hiring process until the dream applicant saunters in — solid, qualified applicants (like you!) get interviews, too. So, if there is a dumping ground of desired skills at the end of the description, see them as bonus skills, and focus your application on all of the core skills you do have.

另一種公司搞砸職位描述的方法就是把它對“夢想求職者”的要求一一列出來。比如，關於計算機技能的職位要求求職者要有與孩子們互動的能力。不過真誠地說，公司不會推遲招聘的時間，直到夢想求職者的出現——可靠的，有資格的求職者（就是你！）去進行面試。所以，如果在職位描述後面有哪些看起來超出常理的要求，那就把它們看作額外要求吧，只需要關注你所具備的職位要求的核心能力就足夠了。

Step 3: Use the magic words

第三步：使用“神奇詞語”

Sometimes the required skills you are missing don't fit into either of the above categories: While not a deal-breaker, they will factor into the job, and they're more than icing on the cake. First things first, remember this sage advice: do not write the "I know I don't have the right experience, but ... " cover letter.

有時候，你所缺乏的某些必備技能並不能夠運用於以上任何一個類型的時候：不是一個障礙，他們會考慮工作性質，更不是錦上添花。首先的首先，記住不要在自薦信裏面寫“我不具備這些技能，但……”這樣的句子。

Try to use this: transferrable skills. Yes, I think the term "transferrable skills" has magical job-search powers that shouldn't be underestimated. Why? Because a critical piece of the application process is connecting the dots between the experience you already posses and that which the position calls for.

嘗試用這樣的方式：可轉換技能。沒錯，我覺得這個詞語“可轉換技能”有其不可低估的獨特的魅力。爲什麼呢？因爲關鍵的一封求職信將會把你早已具備的技能和該職位所需的技能掛起鉤來。

Just make sure you don't over-reach for relevant experience. For example, do not try to explain how babysitting prepared you to be an executive assistant because you've previously been in charge of scheduling someone else's afternoon. Do focus on how lessons learned from prior experience would apply to a future role.

只需要確認沒有涉及超出範圍的技能。例如，不要解釋當保姆可以使你成爲一位執行助理是因爲你早已負責安排某人的日常事務。只需要關注你如何從之前的經歷中獲得技能，爲日後申請工作做準備就足夠了。

Then, try this cover letter template, which focuses more on the skills you do have than the specific experiences you don't.

然後自薦信的排版，只需要更多的關注你具備的技能而不是你缺少的工作經驗。

If you're interested in a role and could see yourself doing a great job, don't let a few missing qualifications stop you from applying. Follow the steps above, and then, wait and see. You may not be selected for an interview; but you could also be the best person for the job, and applying is the only way you'll know.

如果你對於某個職位很感興趣並確定自己能夠勝任這份工作，那就不要讓某些缺少的條件而讓自己卻步。按照以上所介紹的三個步驟，然後，只需等待合適的時機。也許你沒有被選中參與面試，但你可以發現最適合這份工作的人的特質，並從他/她的身上學習。