Did you know that despite all the efforts human resources departments across the world are doing to try diversify their workforce to be more gender inclusive, women tend to disqualify themselves before even applying for an open position?
That’s right! Studies show that in order to apply for a job, women tend to feel that they need to meet 100% of the listed criteria while men usually apply after meeting only around 60% of the requirements.
This is why it’s more important than ever that more women learn the importance of having a regular self-love practice.
When we love ourselves, we have more confidence, self-esteem and courage. We step into our power, we set our own value and we don’t let limiting beliefs such as “I’m not fully qualified for this position” hold us back from applying for the jobs we really want.
I’m grateful for the fact that I received male guidance at the very young age of 14 years old, which groomed me to believe that any requirements I did not possess, I could make up for in my confidence in myself and my ability to learn as needed.
This was unusual for a young girl to get this kind of guidance back then, and it set me very well apart from my competitors when applying for jobs all throughout my career. Having received this advice early on set me up for a solid career path, despite the fact that I only possessed a high-school equivalency diploma.
Other advice I learned at the age of 14. When going into an interview, shake their hand firmly (this shows confidence), keep direct eye contact and smile confidently. This was sage advice that took me very far in my career, starting from my first fast food job at the age of 14, all the way through to future executive management roles.
The good news from the research that is out there is that when women do apply for the jobs that we pursue, we are more likely to get hired. Women are 16% more likely than men to get hired after applying to a job…and 18% more likely to get hired after applying to more senior roles
You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain when you believe in yourself and believe that you truly deserve that better position and that salary raise. My advise to you is to go for it and apply for that job you really want, even if you only technically meet 60% of the listed requirements.
