If you’ve ever looked at an energy job description and thought, “I could do that job, but I don’t meet everything they’ve listed,” you’re definitely not alone.

One thing we regularly tell candidates is not to treat every point in a job description as an automatic pass or fail.

Employers will usually have some requirements they genuinely need you to meet, alongside others that describe their ideal candidate. Knowing the difference can help you decide whether a role is worth applying for.

Start With the Genuine Essentials

Some requirements really are essential, particularly in parts of the energy industry where qualifications, safety, compliance or site access are involved.

For example, a role might require a specific engineering qualification, professional certification, security clearance or the right to work in a particular country. Offshore positions may require a relevant safety certification, while some nuclear roles can have very specific regulatory or industry experience requirements.

If the employer clearly states that something is mandatory, take that seriously.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you should rule yourself out immediately, though. If you are unsure whether your qualification or experience is considered equivalent, speak to the recruiter. We can often clarify that with the employer rather than leaving you to make the decision yourself.

Look Closely at Words Like ‘Preferred’

There is a big difference between required and preferred.

If an employer says experience within nuclear, offshore wind or another particular energy sector is preferred, they may still consider somebody from a related industry.

We regularly see skills transfer between oil and gas, renewables, nuclear, engineering, construction and other technically demanding sectors.

The important question is whether you can demonstrate experience that is relevant to the work they need you to do.

A candidate who hasn’t worked on exactly the same type of project may still have strong experience of managing contractors, working within regulated environments, coordinating engineering teams or delivering complex projects safely and to schedule.

That can be far more important than matching the wording of the job description exactly.

Pay Attention to the Responsibilities

We’d always advise candidates to spend as much time reading the responsibilities as the qualifications.

They tell you what the employer actually needs someone to do.

If most of those responsibilities sound familiar from your current or previous roles, that’s a good indication that your experience could be relevant.

Think about where you have done comparable work, even if your job title, sector or project was different. When you apply, make those connections easy for the recruiter or employer to see.

Don’t Get Too Caught Up on Years of Experience

You may also see requirements such as “five years’ experience” or “ten years’ industry experience”.

Treat these as important, but look at the wider context.

Five years doing highly relevant work may be more valuable than ten years in a position with relatively little crossover. Equally, somebody slightly short of the requested experience may have worked on projects that make them a particularly strong candidate.

The quality and relevance of your experience matter.

Be Realistic, But Don’t Reject Yourself Too Quickly

There is a balance here.

If a position requires a qualification you don’t hold, specialist technical knowledge you don’t have and substantial experience you can’t demonstrate, it probably isn’t the right vacancy.

But if you meet the main requirements and only fall short on one or two of the more desirable points, we wouldn’t automatically let that stop you applying.

Employers are ultimately looking for somebody who can do the job and fit into their team. The person they appoint will not always be the person who matched every bullet point on paper.

If you see an energy job that interests you but aren't sure whether your experience is close enough, speak to us. Part of our job is understanding what the employer genuinely needs and helping you work out whether your background could be a good match.