A job vacancy catches your attention. The role matches your experience, the location works for you, and the salary looks promising. Then you reach the requirements and see one or two things you do not have. Perhaps the employer requests two years of experience and you have eighteen months. Perhaps the advert mentions Excel, a specific qualification or experience in an industry you have not worked in before.
Should you close the page, or should you apply?
The honest answer is: it depends on the size and importance of the gap. A good application is not about applying blindly to everything. It is about recognising when your existing experience can solve the employer’s problem and presenting that evidence clearly.
Understand What a Job Advert Really Represents
Most job adverts describe the employer’s preferred candidate. They often combine essential requirements, useful advantages and qualities that can be learned after employment. These are not always equal.
An employer may strongly require a driver to have a valid licence because the person cannot legally perform the job without it. On the other hand, knowledge of a particular stock-recording application may be teachable if the applicant already understands inventory control and basic computer use.
Before deciding, divide the requirements into three groups:
- Non-negotiable requirements: licences, location, work authorisation, professional registration, required shift availability or an essential technical qualification.
- Core skills: the main abilities needed to perform the daily work, such as customer service, cash handling, sales, bookkeeping or cooking.
- Preferred advantages: experience in a particular industry, familiarity with one software package or a qualification listed as an added advantage.
If you meet the non-negotiable requirements and most core skills, a small gap in the preferred advantages should not automatically stop you.
Use the 70 Percent Fit Test
There is no perfect mathematical rule, but a practical test can help. Read the responsibilities and requirements carefully and count how many important points you can support with real evidence.
You may be a reasonable candidate if you meet roughly 70 percent of the meaningful requirements, including the most important ones. However, percentage alone is not enough. Missing one critical requirement can matter more than meeting five minor ones.
For example, an applicant for a cashier role may meet the education, age, location and customer-service requirements but have never used a point-of-sale system. If the employer is prepared to train, the applicant’s cash-handling experience may still make the application worthwhile. But an applicant for a professional driving role without a valid licence should not apply until that essential requirement is resolved.
Ask: Can I Prove That I Can Do the Work?
Recruiters do not shortlist people simply because they say they are hardworking. They look for evidence that connects the applicant’s past actions to the vacancy.
For every major responsibility, ask yourself:
- Have I performed a similar task in a previous job, internship, volunteer role or personal business?
- Can I describe a result I achieved?
- Do I have a transferable skill that applies to this duty?
- Can I learn the missing part quickly and honestly explain how?
A candidate who managed online customer orders for a small business may have useful customer-service, sales, record-keeping and WhatsApp communication experience—even if the person has never held the formal title “Customer Service Representative.” The value lies in the work performed, not only the previous job title.
Do Not Change the Truth to Match the Vacancy
Never invent qualifications, extend employment dates, claim software you cannot use or describe responsibilities you did not perform. A false statement can be exposed during an interview, reference check or practical assessment.
Instead, present the strongest truthful version of your experience.
Weak statement:
“I am a hardworking person who can do anything.”
Stronger statement:
“I handled daily customer enquiries through WhatsApp, recorded orders in Excel and followed up with customers until delivery.”
The stronger version gives the recruiter useful evidence without exaggeration.
Tailor Your CV Before You Apply
Sending the same CV to every vacancy reduces your chances because the recruiter must work harder to understand your relevance. Tailoring does not mean rewriting your history. It means arranging truthful information around the employer’s needs.
Start with the vacancy title
Use a clear professional headline near the top of your CV. If you are applying for a Sales Representative role and your experience supports it, a headline such as “Retail Sales and Customer Service Professional” immediately establishes relevance.
Move relevant experience higher
If your most useful experience came from a side business, internship or earlier position, make it easy to find. Do not bury the strongest evidence beneath unrelated information.
Match the language naturally
If the vacancy repeatedly mentions inventory, customer enquiries and daily sales reports, use those accurate terms where they describe work you genuinely performed. This helps both human recruiters and applicant-tracking systems understand the match.
Add measurable results
Numbers make experience clearer. Examples include:
- Attended to 30–40 customers per day.
- Maintained weekly stock records for more than 200 items.
- Helped the team meet monthly sales targets.
- Reduced order errors by checking customer details before dispatch.
Use only figures you can reasonably defend.
Address a Small Gap Without Making It the Centre of Your Application
You do not need to begin your application with an apology. Lead with what you can offer, then briefly address a manageable gap if necessary.
For example:
“Although my experience is in fashion retail rather than baby products, I have two years of customer-facing sales experience, daily stock-recording skills and a strong record of meeting targets. I am confident I can learn the product range quickly.”
This response is honest, relevant and forward-looking.
If the missing skill can be learned quickly, start learning before the interview. Complete a short course, practise the software, review industry terminology or speak with someone who performs the role. You should not claim mastery, but you can demonstrate initiative.
When You Should Not Apply
A smart job search also requires knowing when to save your time.
Do not apply when:
- You do not meet a legal, licensing or professional-registration requirement.
- The work schedule is impossible for you.
- The location and transport cost make regular attendance unrealistic.
- The position is clearly senior and you have no related responsibility or leadership experience.
- You are outside a strict age, gender or qualification requirement stated by the employer.
- You cannot perform the main duties and have no transferable experience.
- The vacancy requests payment, sensitive banking information or suspicious documents before a legitimate recruitment process.
Applying to clearly unsuitable jobs can distract you from stronger opportunities and may damage your credibility with a recruiter who receives repeated irrelevant applications.
Avoid These Common Application Mistakes
Applying without reading the full advert
The title alone does not explain the location, schedule, qualifications or application instructions. Read every section before submitting.
Ignoring location
For many Lagos roles, punctuality and transport reliability matter. Consider the daily route, travel time and transport cost before applying.
Sending only “I am interested”
A recruiter needs enough information to evaluate you. Follow the official application channel and submit the requested details and CV.
Using an unclear CV filename
Rename the file professionally, for example: “Amina-Bello-Sales-Representative-CV.pdf”. Avoid filenames such as “mycvnewfinal2.pdf”.
Applying after the vacancy is filled
Check the website for the current status. Old flyers may remain on social media after a position has closed.
Calling repeatedly after applying
Follow up politely through the approved channel after a reasonable period. Repeated calls or messages can work against you.
A Five-Minute Decision Checklist
Before submitting, answer these questions:
Do I meet the essential qualification, location and schedule requirements?
Can I perform most of the daily responsibilities?
Can I prove my suitability with specific examples?
Is the missing requirement teachable rather than essential?
Have I tailored my CV to the vacancy?
Have I followed the stated application instructions?
Is the vacancy still open on the official website?
If most answers are yes and the missing requirement is not critical, submit a focused application. If several answers are no, invest your energy in a vacancy that fits you better.
What to Do After You Apply
Keep a simple application record containing the job title, company or recruiter, date, link and status. Save the vacancy description so you can prepare if invited for an interview.
Continue applying for other suitable roles. One application should not stop your job search. If shortlisted, return to the advert and prepare examples showing how your experience matches the responsibilities.
Never pay an unofficial person to “secure” a job, and never share your password, PIN or one-time banking code during recruitment.
Final Advice
You do not need to be a perfect candidate to submit a strong application. You need to meet the essential conditions, understand the work, present relevant evidence and be honest about what you still need to learn.
Confidence does not mean pretending you have every skill. It means recognising the value