How to get an interview for a position you’re under qualified for
Photo by shes_jack
I see way too many cry babies out there. Sure the job market is tough, but you’re not putting in the hard work you need to in order to bounce back and be considered for a job.
Oh, what’s that you say? You’re not qualified for the position?
Bullshit!
That’s right, I said it. Job “Requirements” don’t mean squat. They’re just there to weed out the weak and let the strong stand out. This is how I punched requirements in the face and got an interview for a position I was under qualified for.
Requirements for the position
Lets first examine why I was highly under qualified for the position:
- Minimum of 4-5 years experience in product management, brand marketing, digital marketing, and/or new media.
- I’m barely two years out of college and only fit the “new media” portion of this bullet point
- Demonstrated savvy with new technology and ability to communicate new media initiatives to a broad audience and speak technically to developers and third parties
- Yup, I definitely fit this bullet point
- Yup, I definitely fit this bullet point
- Highly motivated, strategic, independent, ambitious, strong multi-tasker
- Woohoo, I fit this bullet point as well!
- Knowledgeable of digital music sites, tools and content providers
- Hrmmmm… don’t really fit this one. Don’t know a thing about the music business
So two out of four ain’t bad right?…
Wrong! There are a ton of people right now who are desperately looking for jobs. I knew that my competition was going to be stiff, and if I wanted to have a chance at showing my skills off, I needed to clinch that 1st round interview.
Step 1: Thorough research and outreach on LinkedIn
I went to LinkedIn and searched “Walt Disney Music” in the top right search bar. I took the top ten results and Googled their names in order to get their contact info.
If I can’t find someone’s contact info, I’ll take an educated guess. For example, if I want to meet Kelly Preston from Walt Disney Music but can’t find her info, I’ll take a look at the contact that I have for Michael.Thompson@Disney.com, copy the format, and send Kelly.Preston@Disney.com an email hoping that it’s the right address. This has worked numerous times in the past.
Here’s an email I sent to someone from Walt Disney Music:
Hi Mickey,
My name is Jun Loayza and I am very interested in working for the Walt Disney Company. I recently applied to the Senior, Social Media position at Walt Disney Music and noticed that you currently work there.
I would like to schedule a time when we can chat on the phone about your experiences at Walt Disney Music and how I can best prepare myself to work there.
I am very confident that I can bring unique value to your company and add to the amazing company culture.
I am available Friday afternoon, Saturday all day, and Monday all day to chat on the phone. My number is 714-657-9332.
Thank you very much and I look forward to connecting.
All the best,
Jun Loayza
I sent about 10 emails to people I found through LinkedIn. Here is the one email that I got back:
Hi Jun;
I am actually new to Walt Disney music myself…I started in October and I am based in the Townville, Neverland office calling on Walmart.
You would probably be better served making contact with someone in our Los Angeles, CA office (I am assuming the position you applied for is the one based in Los Angeles).
I suggest the following: Donald Duck, Lead Human Resources for Walt Disney Music. His number is 1-888-888-8888, and email is Donald.Duck@Disney.com. Donald is a Superman, and he can hook you up with tons of info and insight. Let him know I gave you his contact info.
I wish you the best, Jun. Please stay in touch and keep me posted on your progress.
Cheers!
Perfect! I got a name, a contact, and best of all, I have a referral!!!
Step 2: Strategically leverage the referral you have
Now that I have the exact person to contact with a powerful referral, I need to create a strategic email that will land me the 1st round interview. Here is the email I sent:
Hi Donald,
My name is Jun Loayza and I was referred by Mickey to speak with you about my interest in working for Walt Disney Music. I feel that my abilities and experience make me the perfect candidate for your Senior, Social Media position at Walt Disney Music.
My experiences make me qualified for this position because I have been able to develop my social media and brand management abilities as the Founder of Future Delivery. I have a passion for new media technologies and learning how to use it to market a company. I know that Walt Disney Music would be the perfect place where I could implement my passions and watch them grow as well. I am particularly interested in Disney because I have a close relationship with Daisy Duck, who is the Director of Recruiting at Disney Media. I had the opportunity to see the company culture and I fell in love with the people and atmosphere of the company.
I can contribute to your firm with my strong creative and analytical skills. As the founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Future Delivery, I have built and marketed several online companies: www.fdcareer.com, www.viralogy.com, and www.futuredelivery.tv. I am proficient in building relationships with people in the blogosphere and have been able to successfully market my own blog, www.junloayza.com, using tools such as Twitter, StumbleUpon, and Facebook. I have analyzed and documented all site analytics to increase traffic and improve retention. More importantly, I have been able to successfully manage advertisements on our sites and maintain relationships with company sponsors.
I believe that I have the qualities that make a successful Social Media Manager: I enjoy working in teams and excel in working with people, I am very detailed oriented and have excelled in promoting companies using online social media tools, and I am an excellent multi-tasker.
I would enjoy speaking to you further about the possibility of a position at Walt Disney Music. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
1st Paragraph: I clearly state that I was referred by Mickey and what position I am apyling for
2nd Paragraph: I explain exactly why I am qualified for the position
3rd Paragraph: I clearly layout how I can contribute to the company
Last Paragraph: I solidify my want to work for Disney and thank Donald for his consideration
Unfortunately, it turns out that Donald was out of the office:
I am currently out of the office on vacation. I will be back in the office on Monday, February 9th.
For any urgent need, please contact my Manager, Minnie, at Minnie@disney.com.Thank you and have a stellar day!
This step is completely up to you. Some people might consider not doing this step, but I had the balls to do it and as you will see, it lead to a positive outcome. Donald is out of the office and he clearly refers me to speak with Minnie if it is something urgent. Well, “urgent” if very subjective, and I feel the job hunt is very urgent indeed. So I send Minnie this email:
Hi Minnie,
My name is Jun Loayza and I contacted Donald to get in touch with him about a position at Walt Disney Music. He is currently on vacation and left me a message to contact you about this opportunity.
The position I am interested in is the Senior, New Media position at the Walt Disney Music in Los Angeles. It would be great to set up a time to chat on the phone this weekend about your experiences with the company so that I can be better prepared for an interview and so that you can find out more about me.
I am available:
- Saturday: 10am - 5pm
- Sunday: 10am - 5pm
My number is 714-657-9332.
Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to getting in touch with you.
All the best,
Yes, I know, very ballsy. But if you’re going to interview for a company, I believe you have to go ALL out. If you don’t give it your all and leave everything on the court, you may regret it afterwards.
Step 3: Never, ever accept a “No.” How to bounce back with an objection
Looks like my emails got Donald’s attention because he sends me this email when he gets back from his vacation:
Hi Jun. Thank you for your interest in the role. While you definitely have an impressive background, we are really looking for someone with more of a strong product marketing background mixed with new media but who also has some solid experience working within the music space. That being said, I would love to hold on to your resume for other opportunities. Mickey is great so any referral of yours is golden
Thanks much.
Never take “No” for an answer.
While I understand most people would accept this email from Donald and move on, I saw this as a “weeder”email. Just like requirements for a job position, these types of emails are meant to weed out the weak and allow the strong to demonstrate their value. Understanding this, I immediately followed up with this email:
Hi Donald,
Thank you very much for getting back to me.
I completely respect your decision and objective opinion about the required skills for the position. After all, you’re the Lead Human Resources and know exactly what you need for the position. With that said, I would like to request an interview for the position because I strongly feel that my background and skills have prepared me for this exact position.
1. Product MarketingI have developed and marketed 3 products so far:
In the first 2 weeks of the FD Career launch, we accumulated over 3,000 members. In 5 days after the Drop For Me launch, we have just over 1,000 members on our email list. For FDTV, we have over 12,000 monthly hits on our site.
2. Experience in the music space
I will admit that I have not worked in an actual “music space”; however, I feel that the skills I have developed would help me thrive in the music industry. As you can see from http://LivingtheStartupLife.com and http://FutureDelivery.tv, I thrive in the public eye and am able to communicate clearly in front of the camera or spotlight. I am very familiar with all the Disney bands (who isn’t) but am not a groupie or fanatic so I can compose myself in a very professional manner when meeting any Disney celebrity.
I have worked with and pitched to many high-level executives. I have pitched to Prism Ventures here in Venice Beach, Ellie Elber who is the founder of Add Sense, and at the Web 2.0 Conference held in 2008. I have even pitched to the Media Group team in Los Angeles.
As far as an intimate knowledge of how the music industry works, in terms of deals, agent salaries, and what happens behind the scenes, I feel that I can quickly learn that in less than a week. I am currently working with Shelly Tiger and Newton John to help promote their music.
I am very eager and enthusiastic about the opportunity of working at Walt Disney Music. I feel that if I came in for an interview, I would blow you and your staff away with my energy, ability, and skillset.
Thank you very much Donald and I will respect any decision you make.
All the best,
1st Paragraph: Respect the recruiter’s decision and reaffirm that you understand that he knows best about what the company is looking for. At the same time, I confidently set up my request for an interview.
Main Content: In his email, Donald laid out 2 main objections: my lack of experience with product marketing and my inexperience in the music industry. I therefore construct two carefully designed paragraphs that explain exactly why I would do well in product marketing and in the music industry.
Concluding Paragraph: Yes I know, another gutsy move. I write: “I would blow you and your staff away…” Am I advising you to talk in this exact tone? In a way, I am. But what I really want you to grasp from this is that you can portray your confidence and enthusiasm for a company through your emails. If you demonstrate to the company that you have a passion to work there, they will give you the opportunity.
I swung for the fences with my emails and it paid off:
Thanks for the email, Jun. Why don’t I give you a call next week and we can talk more about the role at that time?
Until then, have an amazing weekend.
Best regards,
Are you doing everything you possibly can to succeed?
When I commit to something, I pull out all the stops to succeed. I give Future Delivery 110% of my energy so that we can build a successful startup company. When I saw this opportunity at Disney, I felt that the income I made at Disney could have been injected into Future Delivery and positioned us better for success.
If you’re looking for a job, are you doing all the research you possibly can on LinkedIn, and more importantly, are you contacting people who currently work at the company to get referrals, get your questions answered, and build an immediate report? When you get rejected from a 1st round interview, are you hanging your head in shame or are you fighting back and not taking no for an answer?
I just proved that it is possible. Requirements don’t mean crap! They’re just there to weed out the weak and let the strong stand out.
tremendous post I’ve been looking for some sample templates that one could use to network on Linkedin
Cool! Yea, go ahead and use my templates and modify them to make them your own.
Good luck!
First off, love the picture!!!! Second, great post. I will be utilizing this for sure, while giving you mental credit. Thanks for posting this.
Woohoo! Giving me mental credit means you’ll be thinking about me
Now I feel all special indside
Jun, once again, an incredibly helpful post! I’m in the midst of a job search in the San Francisco area and don’t have too many contacts there. This seems just like the key!
So, once you are in the interview, how do you clinch the job?
How to clinch the job:
Take some time and read the publications that I have written for doing well in the interview and landing the job: http://www.junloayza.com/publications/
After reading them, shoot me an email at me [at] junloayza.com if you have more in depth questions.
Good luck!
Great! What happens if/when one gets the job but can’t perform? Unemployed again, that’s what! I think this is a terrible idea.
Hmmmm… well if you can’t perform the job, just don’t do it. Only apply for positions that you are capable of being a rockstar at!
Jun,
As a current college student I found this very encouraging and a powerful tool for my job search in the next coming year. I will take this approach for internship opportunities as well. Having a good job and source of income to support/launch a venture is never a bad idea.
@Margaret, The idea is to land the interview and show that you have the ability to learn new things. Notice Jun is open with all his strengths/weaknesses and still is able to display confidence. Any job you do your going to need to learn new things and adjust to the change. I believe thats what employers look for.
Tony Ruiz
Hey Tony, I commend you for being a college student and taking the time to educate yourself outside of the classroom by reading blogs.
I love helping young entrepreneurs, so join Yu-kai and me LIVE tonight here to chat about entrepreneurship: http://awesome.viralogy.com/live/
See you at 7pm PST!
Did he ever call you?
Of course
Confidence is ESSENTIAL.
Your emails were GOLD.. You displayed confidence while remaining professional and and at the same time showed your human side.
Simply going a step further will increase your odds significantly. Like you said employers have simple methods for weeding out individuals.. however by simply showing some initiative and perseverance you were able to stand out.
I like how you gave them a time for to reach you.. This shows that you have a systematic way of running your life which is very important. On somewhat of a tangent… I just finished the book” The multi tasking myth” and it talks about having a specific time to meet with your employees rather than having multiple 5 minute interruptions.. Giving your customers/employee’s a specific times in which they can reach you has a powerful effect on your business relationships.
I love the overall message. We don’t have to have pages and pages of accomplishments to get the job we want (sure it might help..) all we need is confidence.
Very inspiring post.
Hey thanks Bud. Hopefully many people can use my strategies and incorporate them into their own job hunt
Great post Jun! I’ll have to share this post with my friends that are currently struggling to land interviews. This is definitely worth a ’stumble’ and retweet.
Cheers!
Thanks Steph! Hope this post really helps your friends
Hey Jun,
This is a great post. I forwarded it on to my nephew who is looking for the perfect job. And the perfect job comes when opportunity and preparation meet, as we all know (oh, that was luck - same).
You just lay the whole process out so clearly that it’s really good protocol for anyone job hunting to follow. Most people learn how to put together a resume and how to interview but the big gap there, how to get the interview, is rarely addressed, and that’s what you’ve done.
I’m a new subscriber and I look forward to more!
wow, thanks so much for the compliment!
Tell your nephew good luck, and if he has questions about the job interview, tell him to read my publications on breaking down the interview: http://www.junloayza.com/publications/
Did you get the job?
Hey Jun,
I just came back from Vietnam and randomly came across this blog entry. This is an awesome post in coincidentally perfect timing for me because I’m looking for a job as well. Not only do you clearly lay out step by step the sequence of events as they transpire, but you follow up each post with guidelines on how to write a proper email. This is very inspiring. It makes me want to shoot for the more senior positions that I was always afraid to apply for. Best of luck with the application and please keep me update on how it goes!
Tony
Great post. I too believe that job requirements are really just hurdles set up by HR to weed out people who don’t really want the job. I wouldn’t say that you were under-qualified for the job, just that you didn’t match the requirements. But your experience seems to fit the job role and qualify you for it. You showed your expertise in the field and that got you the interview. If you didn’t have that experience I expect that you wouldn’t have gotten the interview.
Good luck!
great post Jun. Really tangible content, I hope you get it!
hey jun! s ogreat to hear from you - im in the bay area. are you up here too? we should catch up!
This is a great post, I encourage everyone who is currently seeking for a job to learn something out of this article. You just set a perfect example for initiative, self confidence and wisdom.
From this article, I can tell that you are not only 110% devoted to FD, you are 120% devoted to your own life. You just earned my big respect.
Jun, keep the good work and success will knock at your door soon!
Wow, great blog post, and definitely something I needed to read.
Let’s me know that there’s always more that can be done and a blueprint on how to go about it!
Thanks for tackling this step so clearly. I’m a recent graduate who’s preparing to find jobs in the marketing field. I’ve read articles about contacting people inside the company before, but they’re quite vague and what one does next are not told. Your post says it all… with examples to boot.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience/advice/wisdom!
God bless!
Thanks Raven! Very nice pic you got there, is that really you? hahaha…
You’re welcome.
Bout the pic, nope.. not me… not me at all.. ;P
Amazing post as usual. Keep it up because it is helping me land clients for my new media company, Complimedia Online.
Great to hear! Checked out your blog and looks like you got some interesting stuff. What’s sets you apart from other social media blogs?
I love this post. I don’t think I’ve ever been fully qualified for a job that I’ve applied for (until I started the job and learned things really fast).
My attitude is that the ‘barriers’ are usually just put there to turn off any non-enthusiastic applicants. If an applicant is passionate and knowledgeable about the job/industry then they’re more than employable.
Dude, that is awesome advice. Thanks for sharing.
This is an awesome post thats relevant to a lot of people (who isn’t looking for a job or even looking to upgrade to a better job?). I’ll be sending this to a lot of my graduating friends.
Great article! I have done many above and was afraid I was too stalker like . I have a question maybe you can help me.I really want this one position nearby me, the job is awesome the pay, benefits and location. It is for an executive assistant/admin asst. I may not have executive experience but alot of admin. Ok I emailed my resume and cover letter through career builder twice. I found out her phone # and spoke to her directly where she hadn’t reviewed the resumes yet. She told me to call the next morning which I did but she wasn’t in yet so I left a voice mail. What should me next step be just wait for her to call or call her back today? I do not want to seem stalker like but really want the position! I even contacted her on a website called spoke.com. My cover letter was very similar to what you posted so what do I do now?
here was my cover letter
I recently spoke to you on the phone today concerning the position. I am the one that stated that I work at 185 Bridge Plaza North just steps away. I really believe I would be a perfect fit and even though I may not have Executive Assistant experience I have plenty of Administrative experience. With every company I am part of, I play the right hand role in that position and become a huge asset to the boss or president of that company. The company I am at right now, I am the right hand for my boss also the owner of The Foot & Ankle Center of Fort Lee. I sometimes act more of a personal and executive assistant to him rather than just a front desk administrator. He has stated numerous times that when ever a problem surfaces or if anything needs to be done I am the only one he can trust.
I am very hardworking, kindhearted and can pick up on any program in a heart beat. I love helping others and have dealt with the elderly and children alike. I handle the schedule for the Foot & Ankle Center currently and remind my boss of all other meetings and appointments he has at other offices and locations. I am the main one to answer the phone, schedule appointments, handle all the financial and important documents. I am very punctual, reliable and am true multi tasker. I can handle it all with a smile and upbeat attitude. I believe I would be a perfect fit for the company and I hope I am called in for an interview because a cover letter and word document can only do so much! I am available tomorrow between 8:30-9:00 am, Fri after 2pm or Monday after 2pm as well. Thank you so much and hope to be hearing from you soon. Resume attached below!
Wow Jun,
I loved this post! Your emails are so well written and very direct. I am in a bit of a sticky situation myself, and was hoping for an answer to my question in this post. Perhaps you could help me further? I interviewed for one job and will most likely have an offer, but there is a job that I would like more that I am waiting to hear about. How would you suggest I contact the job I want more to let them know that I had an interview and they are very interested in me (so perhaps they should speed up the process and interview with me as well!)…stated differently of course? Thanks!
Hey Emily,
To be perfectly honest, I would take the opposite approach. Instead of reaching out to the company and requesting that they speed of the process, I would reach out to the company that gave you an offer and request an extension.
I have done this many times, and it’s as simple as being direct and honest with a company.
Your phone call should hit the following points:
1. Reason you would like an extension: Don’t say that you’re waiting for another company. Instead, say that you have a lot of things going on in your life right now and many decisions to make. Politely request an extension on your decision and be confident about it
2. Give a realistic time frame: I have gotten extensions for up to 2 weeks. You can shoot for this extension but don’t be surprised to be turned down. Many companies are looking to hire immediately.
If all else fails, I would accept the offer and request to start in 30 days if possible. I think most companies will give you 2 weeks to make the transition, but it never hurts to ask. I then would interview with the other company during those 30 days and accept the offer should I receive it.
Good luck!
WoW! A step by step process, just unleashed the secret of jobhunting - forwarding this to all my jobhunting friends! =) Thanks so much again for the tips and advice. I would never have known how to successfully executive such jobhunting or contacting strategies.
Jun,
I’ve not checked in with you in a while and this blog is truly a nugget of wisdom - I have been trying to post my job hunting successes since I managed to navigate the international student waters and get a ton of jobs out of college and again now, got a few switches in a bad recession! I’m debating trying to chronicle it well, but I see you have a similar story; I must say, I have a story of a job offer that started with two pints of Guinness!
More later,
Shreenath
Greetings from Malaysia! impressive post !.Thanks because i think it will help us a lot. Inspiring too as
I have not been getting reply for an internship opportunities from most of the companies that I am interested in. I really feel like giving up now. I am from science background and hope that you can check my CV and cover letter if you dont mind~~
Regards,
YX
Hi Jun,
Your post has opened my eyes! I have contacted bunch of people successfully using your method. Sometimes people ask me where did I get their information, should I say through LinkedIN?
This is a great post, very informative and detailed!
With over 12 years of starting and running my own successful tech businesses (The first one in college) I now have to search for a job in a large organization to gain even a fraction of the compensation I have become accustomed to.
Combine a bad economy, embezzlement from “Trusted” business partners, and bad debt to create a the perfect financial storm that I now live in. (I know, cue the violins ;D)
I haven’t had to look for a job since I was about 18 and am simply not getting interviews. My experience is so broad that I don’t fit neatly into any job req’s, and therefore don’t get past the initial screening process. Once I’m in the hot seat, I’m sure I can get the job done but therein lies the problem.
This post does a great job of explaining how to be assertive and persistent while remaining professional. I now have a new perspective on my current job search.
Thanks much…
This is terrific advice! I followed your advice for a job that I really, really, REALLY want right now and I’m hoping it will pan out. I just wanted to ask if you have any suggestions about what to do if the person who has the authority to hire you does not respond. Do you suggest e-mailing to follow up again in a few days? What about calling them directly? In a good economy there would be a lot of candidates for the position I’ve applied for and I know in this economy with several talented people in my field being laid off that the competition for this particular position will be very stiff. I’m willing to put myself out there and go the extra mile to show I’m the best candidate but I’m not sure what would be too far or too pushy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hey Terri, I say wait a week before you follow up with an email or call.
If you follow up to quick, it’s just annoying because it takes a while for HR to make decisions.
A week is a safe bet.