The 70% Rule
Job descriptions are wish lists, not legal requirements. Research suggests that men apply when they meet roughly 60% of the criteria — women apply when they meet closer to 100%.
If you meet 70% of a role's requirements, you're a viable candidate. The cover letter is how you bridge the rest.
Acknowledge, Don't Hide
The worst approach is to ignore the gap and hope they don't notice. They will. The better approach is to address it briefly and redirect.
"I haven't worked directly in FinTech, but my five years building data pipelines in healthcare — a similarly regulated, high-stakes environment — maps closely to the compliance and data quality challenges you've described."
You've acknowledged the gap, reframed your experience, and shown you understand their actual problem.
Lead With Transferable Outcomes
Don't list what you've done. List what resulted from it — in language that mirrors the new role.
"Reduced churn by 22% through better onboarding" speaks louder than "Managed customer success".
Show You've Done the Work
One or two lines showing genuine research into the company goes a long way: their recent product launch, a problem they've publicly discussed, or the market they're entering.
It signals you're not blasting applications. You specifically want this role.
The Closing Line
Don't close with "I look forward to hearing from you." Close with a specific ask:
"I'd welcome the chance to talk through how my background in X maps to the challenges in this role — even for 20 minutes."
Specificity signals confidence. Confidence moves applications forward.
