Applying for a job can be an overwhelming experience, given the sheer number of available positions. Since the average job search lasted 22 weeks in 2022, most job seekers try to save time by weeding out postings they don't meet all the requirements for rather than submitting a bonanza of applications. According to iHire's 2023 State of Online Recruiting, only 26.4% of candidates admitted to applying for jobs they didn't meet all the requirements for in the past year.

Even if you are underqualified for a job, you shouldn't necessarily forego applying, provided you meet most job requirements. You may have utilized the skills an employer needs through other means, such as volunteering, that you haven't listed on your resume.

On today's episode of Find Your Niche: A Career Podcast, host Lori Cole explains how to apply to a job you're underqualified for and how to evaluate whether you have enough of what an employer wants when submitting your application. She also explains the ways you can incorporate volunteering experience on your resume to make you a can't-miss candidate.

Subscribe to Find Your Niche: A Career Podcast for more career advice. You can also find additional content on our YouTube Channel.

Construction metaphors are a popular way to describe the process of building anything worthwhile, and creating a lucrative career is no different. You begin laying a solid foundation by choosing the career path you wish to take, acquiring the necessary credentials (education, skills, certification, etc.), and earning an entry-level position or internship. Once you start working, you gain a reputation that can help your growth potential through technical and soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Career growth typically follows as you get more experience and show aptitude in your profession.

Today’s guest on Find Your Niche: A Career Podcast, Grant Bucher, built his construction career through that foundational work. He earned an engineering degree at Purdue University and leveled up his credentials by picking up his MBA from Indiana. During that time, he worked his way up the ranks with Shambaugh and Son, beginning as a summer intern while he finished his bachelor’s degree and eventually becoming a project manager before moving on to Weigand Construction. He joins host Lori Cole to discuss:

• How to become a construction project manager

• What a typical day looks like in construction project management

• What qualities he looks for when hiring someone to join his team

• How he pivoted into launching a political campaign

Listen to the full episode for more information on construction careers, and subscribe to Find Your Niche: A Career Podcast for more career advice. You can also find additional content on our YouTube channel!

Companies spend a lot of energy figuring out their employees’ strengths through their observations, performance metrics, and popular surveys such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Test. With the average hire costing $4,129, employers seek to understand how their existing employees can be best utilized to complement each other’s skills and avoid replacing them in a costly hiring process.

Finding the right job is a matter of matching the skills you possess with a role that consistently utilizes them. When your strengths correlate closely with the work you are doing, success typically follows. An analytical mind lends itself well to a career in data analysis; someone who can coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously may be well suited to project management, and someone with high levels of empathy could excel in therapy or social work.

On today’s episode of Find Your Niche: A Career Podcast, host Lori Cole shares the results of her own strength finder journey. Discovering her strengths was only half the battle, and Cole utilized artificial intelligence to gauge how they could make her a can’t-miss candidate on her (theoretical) job search.

In addition to her strength finder demonstration, Cole speaks with a fellow Certified Career Coach and Clinical Counselor, Caitlin Magidson, about her career path. She also discusses three red flags you should watch out for to avoid taking a job from hell.

Enjoy the full episode, and don’t forget to subscribe to Find Your Niche: A Career Podcast for more advice. You can also get more career content by checking out our YouTube channel!