In The Future, These 40 Skills Will Matter More Than a College Degree

35. Competence 

How competent are you to do the job you are applying for? Always apply for jobs that actually align with your past experiences. For example, if you have worked retail all your life and you majored in art history, you should not apply for a job as a computer programmer. This may sound ridiculously obvious to some people. Sure, it’s an extreme example. But after talking to hiring managers, they throw away hundreds of resumes because they were from people who were clearly not qualified to apply in the first place. 

You should never lie on your resume about your level of competency. People can usually see through it. And if you actually did get hired, you would probably struggle to complete the work and may get fired without a good reference. If you want a job you are not qualified for, figure out what steps need to be taken in order to make you competent enough to deserve it.