Applying when you don't meet every requirement: the 60% rule

A job description is a wish list written by someone imagining their dream hire. Almost nobody meets all of it. The widely-cited rule of thumb: if you meet around 60% of the requirements, it's worth applying — provided you clear the genuine must-haves.

Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves

Some requirements are hard gates: a licence, a legal right to work, a specific qualification the role can't exist without. Others are preferences. Read the JD and sort them. Missing a nice-to-have? Apply. Missing a true must-have? That one probably isn't yours, and that's fine.

Position around the gap

When you apply at 60%, don't hide the missing 40% — frame it. Lead your CV and cover letter with the requirements you *do* meet, strongly evidenced. For a key gap, show the nearest adjacent experience and your track record of picking things up. Confidence about what you bring beats apology for what you don't.

Don't over-correct

The 60% rule is permission to apply, not licence to spray applications at roles you're nowhere near. Below roughly half, you're usually better spending the time on a closer match.

The requirement list is the employer's wish. The shortlist is who actually applied. Be in it.