The short version is yes, it is worth applying. If you're trying to get into a niche market, there will only be so many opportunities available. If you only a

The short version is yes, it is worth applying. If you're trying to get into a niche market, there will only be so many opportunities available. If you only apply to things for which you feel qualified, you may eliminate your chances altogether. Let's look at it from the employer's perspective. The employer doesn't maintain a blacklist of "bad match" applicants. The employer simply has a yes, no, and maybe pile. If you are a yes, you get the interview. If you are a maybe, you get the interview if there aren't enough applicants in the yes pile. Everyone in the no pile simply doesn't make it, but could a yes or maybe for a different position. My big break into software development was because no one else was in the yes pile, and I the strongest (maybe the only) maybe.