Are you a fresh graduate? A job ad asks for experience that you don't have but what you have is the passion for completing the job and degree required. You are very much interested in the job, but an underqualified scenario is coming your way. 

In that case, I suggest you use seven different ways to get an interview call by mentioning the most important things in your cover letter. If you wonder what to say when you are unqualified for a job in your cover letter, then here is a complete guide to getting that call you want the most.

1.Change Cover Letter Format

The very first trick to use is to change the resume format. Instead of mentioning experience or required degree information at the top, move it to the last section. Now, what you will say in the top section?

The idea is to break good news first and then bad news. 

Check: Right CV Format

So, first, you will mention some good points about yourself. Ensure these points in the cover letter or resume are all about your accomplishment, best traits, and achievements.

Once you are done with the flowery presentation on welcome notes. You can mention some negative points in a tricky way. Be smart with word choice. 

2.Focus on Transferable Skills

Yes, you don't have the experience to mention in your cover letter. So, what else can you add or mention? Start with some transferable skills relevant to your job.

How do you know what skills are relevant? Read job ads carefully; you may be able to highlight some job-relevant skills.

Maybe employers require communication and interpersonal skills for the next marketing job. You may not have good promotion experience but what you will have is communication and persuasion skills. So, you can easily make clients and sell goods/services.

Mention Volunteer Experience

One way to enhance the chances of getting a job when underqualified is to have some volunteer experience. A company can't offer you a job right away, but they don't mind interns and trainees. So, the basic idea is to start enrolling yourself in a volunteer program during your last semester.

Read: What to Say When applying for a job with No Experience

In that manner, you will have some experience for the job. Students working in a professional environment get more chances of getting an interview call. When you will be writing a cover letter, ensure that you mention your volunteer experience. Use catchy lines to let your employer believe that you are a professional who started working from a very young age. 

3.Create an Impressive Portfolio

A portfolio unlocks samples of work, recommendation letters, testimonials, and some reviews of your trial work or projects.

Did you work on a finance project? When applying for an entry-level finance job, your grade of that project or some highlights of projects are good enough to get attention from the employer. Letter from a professor recommending you will make your employer consider you.

You may not have worked professionally somewhere but what you have are some samples. Unpaid work samples can work in your favor. For example, you want to apply for a magazine job. You never worked before. You can still use your blog to demonstrate your journalism skills.

4.Be ready to Settle For Low to Grow

After graduation, everyone wants to land a high-paying job. A medium-level management job is not available for freshers. Try to be reasonable and apply only for jobs that require 1-year of experience. If a job requires more than two years of experience, save your time and search for another option.

If you are completely unqualified for a job, then keeping hope high won't help. It would help if you settled for less until you can do good. In other words, take an assistant job, go for an unpaid job for some months, start with trial options.

You might not get a marketing manager job just after graduation, but another option is to opt for an assistant job. Becoming an assistant helps you learn job basics and then promote to a high-end job.

Why accept low-paying entry-level jobs? Once you have real-life job experience, you would be able to land a better-paying job. Employers will look into your work, and your dedication or hard work make you promote to a job you deserve.

You can mention in your cover letter where you are unqualified for a job that you are ready to become an assistant or take a low-paying or non-paying job. 

5.Capitalize on passion and flexibility 

When writing a letter, you need to mention your passion for work. You may not have experience but tell your employer that you are willing to learn, grow, train, etc. I am open to this, and I'm willing for that, etc., are some words that employers like.

The purpose of showing your flexible behavior and attitude makes the employer consider you, so you most probably get an interview call.

Don't forget to explain your learning power by saying that I'm a quick learner or a type of self-learner. These traits will instill a good impression on your employer.

6.Make a Double Column Letter

You might lack experience or education, but trying a different way of presenting a cover letter would be a win-win. Employers like to work with talented and creative people. You can have your best shot with a two-column resume.

In the first column, you will mention what the employer required in the job ad, and in the second column, you correspond to your relevant skills. There is a list of requirements from the employer in the advertisement. Match skills with requirements and create a cover letter around them.

The list-based review of your skills corresponding to ad specifications would help the employer understand you better.

7.Research, Your Employer

Every employer has a digital footprint. So, check his posts on LinkedIn. Explore google news about the company. The main idea of research is to understand what the employer is doing and what he wants the most. You need to understand your employer's current needs and then write a cover letter carefully. Please explain how you can fulfill his needs through the job.

Read: How to End a Cover letter to Win job Interview

Conclusion

Finally, you have got an idea of what to say in the cover letter when you are unqualified for a job. Use any of the above points I mentioned so that you can quickly get an interview call from your employer. Don't apply if you are completely unqualified. Lacking in one or two requirements is fine but applying for a finance job with a marketing degree is a wrong move- try not to walk on that path.