The trick to reading situations vacant ads

There is a trick to reading 'situations vacant' ads that make it much easier to write applications that get you an interview and the job, and it involves understanding one important thing: you must secure the interview before you can secure the job. Consider that tip number 1.

OK. Now we've laid down the most important rule, let's talk about how to go about following it. When you see a situations vacant ad, whether it's online or in a window, it may list things like:

• Proven track record in XYZ area
• 5 years experience with XYZ
• Must have college degree
• Self-motivated
• Excellent phone manner

This tells you the skills that a business or company wants, but doesn't necessarily tell you what it wants those skills for. And that's the key.

Always look at the skills listed in an ad and ask yourself — What would they want those skills for? Then look at your own skills and experiences, and address in your application how each can help the employer.

Take "Must have 5 years experience" for example.

What would they want that experience for? Maybe the employer feels that you need that length of time to operate the machinery, equipment, computer, software or whatever properly? So logically they're reasoning that asking for someone with 5 years experience means that only skilled operators will apply.

Looking at it this way, you'll realize that the issue is able to use the equipment properly and NOT the 5 years experience. This is the key to understanding the position vacant ad. With this in mind, in your application you would simply illustrate your competence on the relevant equipment or system. If you do this effectively enough, even though you may have only two years experience but you still could get the job.

Another example? What about "Must have degree".

Your solution is simple. Ask yourself — why is there so much emphasis on the degree itself? Why would they want the degree? Specifically, what will it bring to their company? How would it benefit them? The answer to those questions give you the right approach to take for your application and allow you to overcome a lack of degree problem you may be facing.

The bottom line is that it's not the degree they want — it's the benefits and results that the degree promises. Work out what they are, pitch your application there, and you'll have the approach you need to sidestep the degree and still make a strong case for yourself.

I have used these strategies over and over again to help people get jobs even though they didn't meet all the criteria in the ad. You can use it too as long as you keep asking "why?"

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