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Experienced candidates: should you apply for positions that require less experience?

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Experienced candidates

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Profiles of candidates who have less than 10 years’ of experience are the most looked for by recruiters. But, what happens when you cross this threshold? Do recruiters select candidates based on their age? Given that recruiters are becoming more and more demanding in their recruitment process, a question arises: should candidates apply for positions that demand less experience than what you have acquired along the years?


Experienced candidates: potentials risks seen by the recruiter
The first constraint from the recruiter could be a financial issue: the more experienced the candidate is, the higher his starting salary is. So how can I reassure the employer on this point? If the starting salary is lower than what you expected, negotiate a gradual improvement of your wage on a defined period of time.


The recruiter could also be concerned by the fact you might not spread on a position as it has limited progress opportunities. Remember to put forward the reasons for which you are highly motivated for this position and why you want to work in the company. A working team of young people could be afraid you might not fit in and be scared of inter-generational problems linked to the fact you’re being managed by a younger manager than yourself. 


Competition between candidates
As you probably already know, the job market is quite competitive. The problem doesn’t come from the candidate, nor the recruiter, but from the competiveness of the market. Your personal and professional networks that you have built over the years will help you go beyond this problem.


Finding the ideal candidate
When recruiters define a job position to find their future employee, companies tend to describe their “ideal candidate”. Between this fantasy and the reality, negotiations are possible. Your chances of getting the job are high if your experience and assets are in line with the job offer. Avoid going for junior job offers: the gap will be too wide.


Many of you experience difficulties in finding a job because of your age. When starting your career, you have a lack of experience. After gaining a year of experience, your resume becomes more attractive for companies. This is the case up to 4 years of experience. After 10 years of experience, the trend inverts.


Given this statement, a question arises: should we manage our career during only 10 years?
Instead of focusing on years of experience, it would be interesting to focus on the value of the experience acquired and the qualities of the candidate. What's your opinion?

17/11/2015

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