In your example, however, it’s possible that the company is trying to stretch in this economy to attract “perfect” but be willing to accept “pretty close” (i.e. you). Some research would be helpful here or some company-specific intelligence – to understand what they are likely seeing on resumes. If it’s true that few or no candidate resumes will meet all hurdles, then I would support your application.

And remember, that post was intended to stop candidates from wasting their time and the time of hiring companies. If you feel like it isn’t a huge stretch to apply, go for it. But be objective and honest. Especially if what you don’t have is listed on their mandatory list.

Are your skills transferable? Of course they are. It’s just a tough market to prove that fact. And to convince someone to give you a shot . . .

In terms of “dumbing down” your resume to qualify for entry level, my answer is don’t do it. I would rather have you consulting or grabbing contract jobs than going after a job well below your station. I just wrote a post on this . . . you can see that one here: http://timsstrategy.com/wrong-job-or-job-offer-do-not-settle/

Thanks for those great questions and feel free to comment back with any follow-ups or if I wasn’t clear on a point. Good luck to you!