Would a company hire someone a little underqualified assuming they could pay them less?

[Anonymous]

I recently got called for an interview for a position that I am not quite qualified for. I applied as a stretch and didnt think they would bother with me. They ask for experience that I just dont have. However, I have lots of experience in the junior role and would happily take a slightly lower salary than this position usually commands. I have no connections or anything else that may have gotten me this interview, just my resume.

Am I fooling myself to think I even have a chance?

[Anonymous]

I think you are probably better qualified than you think - don't undersell yourself! A company wants to hire the best person they can afford - I doubt they would hire somebody unqualified just to save a little money. They might chose to hire somebody more junior who has the capacity to grow, though. Whatever the case, go into the interview knowing the you are qualified!

[Anonymous]

thanks PP!

Its a big company that is very profitable, so I doubt the salary difference means that much to them but who knows?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you are probably better qualified than you think - don't undersell yourself! A company wants to hire the best person they can afford - I doubt they would hire somebody unqualified just to save a little money. They might chose to hire somebody more junior who has the capacity to grow, though. Whatever the case, go into the interview knowing the you are qualified!

Excellent advice. Go in there and kill it! GL.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. also keep in mind that you might have a particular type of experience that they are interested in, possibly something not even mentioned in the job posting. Something caught someone's eye. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you are probably better qualified than you think - don't undersell yourself! A company wants to hire the best person they can afford - I doubt they would hire somebody unqualified just to save a little money. They might chose to hire somebody more junior who has the capacity to grow, though. Whatever the case, go into the interview knowing the you are qualified!

+1

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of companies list their dream candidate but the reality is a little less qualified.

[Anonymous]

I often will consider someone with less experience if they seem like they would be a good fit. Sometimes a person with exactly the right experience still isn't necessarily the best person for the job.

And, frankly, sometimes we are not exactly sure what we want - we post the listing with the best description we can put together, but the interview process itself helps us define the kind of person that we want to bring on board. So we sometimes interview people who aren't necessarily a "match" with the description we wrote but may well be a match for us.

[Anonymous]

We hired that person 6 months ago and last week she gave her notice because she found something that paid more. Go figure.
But OP, if they called you in, they must see something there to make it worth their time, so go for it!