There’s a lot to be said for initiative. It’s an admirable trait. It can open doors and make you stand out from the crowd. Employers like to see initiative in candidates. They regard it as a sign that the candidate will work hard to help make their firm a success. All well and good. There’s also something to be said for reality. Wishing you were more highly qualified that you are won’t make you more qualified. It takes experience.

Why am I belaboring the obvious? Because candidates seem to lose sight of the obvious when they aspire to advance their careers. Especially in fields where there is a shortage of skilled or qualified workers, demand can drive expectations higher on both sides of the interview table. The problem is that there often is a mismatch between the mix of skills and experience firms are seeking and less qualified but ambitious candidates wanting to move up to the next step in their career.

I have seen a lot of this in my firm recently. We receive many applications from talented and eager individuals seeking positions for which they just are not qualified. They get points for moxie in my book, but that doesn’t make them any more suitable candidates for the companies that are hiring. Employers have specific business needs. That’s why they list them in their job postings. If you can’t fill those needs, they can’t use you – at least not at the moment, anyway.

By all means, seek a position that will challenge you and give you an opportunity to grow as a designer. But don’t imagine you can leap from junior level to senior level in a single bound. Rather than reach the heights, you may take a bad tumble.