There’s a big difference between backing yourself and overselling yourself.

We’re all for candidates aiming high, but one of the biggest mistakes we see in recruitment is people applying for roles that are far beyond their actual experience level.

If a role asks for 5 years’ experience and you have 1, it’s important to be realistic. If it’s a small gap, employers will often still consider a strong candidate. But there comes a point where the mismatch becomes obvious.

The same applies to project experience.

Simply naming a large project or well-known client on your resume doesn’t automatically demonstrate capability. Employers want to know:
• What YOU did, your contribution
• What your responsibilities were
• How involved you were throughout the project? What phases?

Its important to remember, at some point, your level of skill will be tested.

If you present yourself as someone who can complete tasks you don’t actually know how to do, it quickly becomes a red flag once you’re in the role. That not only affects credibility, but can also jeopardise your position and the trust your employer has placed in you.

Ambition is important. However honesty and self-awareness are equally important.

The strongest candidates aren’t the ones pretending to know everything, they’re the ones who are confident in their strengths and honest about what they’re still learning.