Straight out of college, I applied to this engineering job which looked pretty sweet. Big reputable company, seemingly interesting work, rumored to pay well - b

Straight out of college, I applied to this engineering job which looked pretty sweet. Big reputable company, seemingly interesting work, rumored to pay well - but one problem, I was woefully underqualified. Ad stated "3-5 years of professional experience", I had _zero_ experience. Ad stated "Masters degree, or Bachelors for very experienced candidates" Ad had a laundry list of software and tools, I had experience with one CAD program. But what the hell, I didn't have anything to lose, and the company was located a 10 min walk from me. So I applied. Got called in for interviews, which lasted a couple of rounds, but managed to land the job. I know people with very similar stories. So yeah, my advice would be for people to just apply, if they see something they'd like. Worst thing is you don't get the job, companies won't ridicule or blackball you for applying.