Job Descriptions Are a Scam (Here’s Why You Should Apply Anyway)

Still waiting to tick 100% of a job description before hitting “Apply”? Bad news: someone less qualified but bolder is already in the recruiter’s inbox.

“Do I really match the job description, or am I just kidding myself?” — that sneaky little voice, you know it. It pops up just as you’re about to send your CV, while the job ad demands four years of management, mastery of three obscure SaaS tools, and the ability to “handle multiple projects in a high-pressure environment” (read: controlled chaos with PowerPoint as the soundtrack). Honestly, if you met every bullet point in that job description, you’d be working at Marvel by now.

And still — you’ve got the essentials: solid training, hands-on experience, and that survival-mode learning reflex when things go sideways. But you hesitate.

Feel alone in this? Think again. 91% of candidates have felt out of sync with a job description — so much so that they didn’t even apply, for fear of wasting time or getting politely ghosted by HR.

Here’s the truth: the problem isn’t you. It’s the job description — that bloated, vague-yet-excessively-demanding list that makes even the most capable professionals second-guess themselves. It’s time to stop taking it literally.

1. The Perfect Job Description: HR Myth or Fantasy Fiction?

Let’s call it: the “ideal profile” in a job description is a total myth. A fantasy built by recruiters who’ve binged one too many leadership blogs. Spoiler: that perfect candidate doesn’t exist.

In real life, recruiters know they’re not hiring a unicorn. What they’re really looking for is someone with:

60% of the skills listed
30% eagerness to learn (or just figure things out on the fly)
10% humor, especially when the printer flashes warnings in Sanskrit

They’re not hiring against a job description, they’re hiring a person.

2. Experience Is Good. Improvisation Is Better.

You’ve never done exactly what the job description says? Good. Cookie-cutter careers are for robots. What matters is how you handle the unpredictable.

In 2025, a great professional isn’t someone who blindly follows a checklist. It’s someone who can:

Stay calm when a project swerves off-road
Handle budget mayhem without spiraling
Bring logic to meetings that feel like PowerPoint roulette

🔑 In interviews, your secret weapon is storytelling. Share those “everything went wrong but I survived” moments. The ones that don’t fit neatly into a job description, but prove you’re ready for reality.

3. It’s Not Just What You Do — It’s How You Do It

You can tick every box in a job description and still be a poor fit if your attitude stinks.

Here’s what hiring managers really spot:

The Loyalist: reliable, hardworking, rolls with the punches — a safe bet.
The Mercenary: smart, driven, fiercely competitive. Plays the long game and delivers maximum effort — as long as it serves their own interests. Impressive if grounded.
The Complainer: technically qualified but emotionally draining — a hard NO.

🥶 Pro tip: posture matters. A dose of realism and a touch of humor go much further than memorizing the job description line by line.

4. Soft Skills & Mad Skills: Beyond the Job Description

Don’t let anyone tell you staying calm during a crisis is “just being professional.” It’s a superpower — and most job descriptions seriously underrate it. Soft skills are the invisible glue that make teams work:

Stress management
Clear, drama-free communication
Stays cool when feedback sounds like “just a tweak” but means tearing it all down. Thick-skinned, not thin-tempered.

Your mad skills? That’s your extra sparkle:

Theater background? You’ll nail pitches.
Escape room addict? You think fast under pressure.
Built your own PC? You’re resourceful and autonomous.

👉 They rarely show up in job ads, but they matter. Develop them well, prove they help the team — and they’ll count more than half the buzzwords.

5. Impostor Syndrome: Your Annoying But Occasionally Useful Inner Critic

Even the most impressive professionals quietly fear they won’t live up to what others see in them. It’s not just about bluffing — it’s about carrying the weight of expectations. Doubt is normal. Sometimes, even useful. It pushes you to prepare better, work smarter, and stay humble.

Wondering how to overcome this block? This article shows you how to turn that syndrome into a real driving force for progress.

Here’s a little-known truth that might help: most people who land the job don’t tick every box — they just dared to try. 100% of the winners showed up.