Except for the relevant employers, everyone actually knows: job advertisements are usually extremely unrealistic, riddled with excessive expectations and sometimes even discriminatory.
It is best to have a university degree with an excellent final grade, 3-5 years of work experience, no family planning and the will to commit the rest of your life for bad money.
So what do you do if your job search turns into a fiasco because you scroll straight down to the requirements profile and mentally cross off everything that seems necessary for your dream job?
Quite simply, do it like everyone else before you: “Fake It Till You Make It”.
Follow your personal career plan
Of course, you can’t get past the “mandatory” requirements for a job here, but at least you can evaluate your qualifications a little more generously this way.
One thing is certain: Frauen werden nach ihrer Performance beurteiltund bezahlt, Männer nach ihrem Potential. Click To Tweet
Continuing education is the magic word in this context. Don’t expect to get a good salary while being stuck at 2016 development levels for the next 5-10 years. Be generous in your assessment of your potential when you first enter the job, but also live up to that assessment by always developing yourself.
Start ticking off job profiles for the skills you already have or could immediately acquire while on the job. This suddenly creates job opportunities that you might have turned down before.
So, after you have applied to a job posting that is perhaps (strictly speaking) only an 80% match to your profile, it is up to you to close the remaining percent by starting to challenge.
Ask specifically about further training programs, career plans that are concluded with employees individually or the possibility of employee tandems. This will make it easier for you to get started in the company and, through mutual exchange and individual support, you will have the opportunity to broaden your horizons and make targeted use of the know-how you have acquired in the future.
Think of it as a recurring entry point. You start in a company with 80% and steadily expand it. After some time, the next position may beckon and here too, you start with exactly the same percentage.
Always keep in mind: it will never be possible for you to gain 100% of know-how and experience in your professional career, because this would mean an end to your career path. Instead, we move forward in steady stages on which we decide: How far do I want to develop in this subject area? Do I want to specialize in a particular area or would I rather be an all-rounder who can familiarize himself spontaneously and individually with a wide variety of fields?
Have the courage to accept tasks for which you are (apparently) not suitable at first glance. Here, not only a quick learning curve and courage are required, but also a bit of acting and improvisation.
Master the art of role play
There are many advisors and tips. We can read about it in countless magazines, ask our friends and relatives and draw from their experiences, but ultimately, Fake It Till You Make It!
No matter what role you are in right now, partner, employee, employer, mother, friend… – Find the courage to start and improvise, even if it means you might risk something.
Take into account only one rule:
Never get completely lost in a role and don’t get caught up in the so-called “comfort zone.” Have the courage to change and keep doing so until you reach your goal.
About the author
Kinga Bartczak advises, coaches and writes on female empowerment, new work culture, organizational development, systemic coaching and personal branding. She is also the managing director of UnternehmerRebellen GmbH and publisher of the FemalExperts magazine .
