How do I write a cover letter when I don't meet all the requirements?

I've placed candidates into roles where they were missing four of seven 'required' years of experience, missed a 'required' certification, lacked a 'required' undergraduate degree. The CV alone wouldn't have moved them forward. The cover letter did. The structure that works for underqualified applications is different from the standard cover letter, and it has to be tighter and more specific.

Paragraph 1: Acknowledge the gap, then reframe (60-80 words). Name the single most obvious gap between your profile and the JD. Don't bury it. Don't pretend it isn't there. Then offer the compensating strength the reader should weigh against it. 'I've spent five years rather than the seven the role specifies in PM. Those five years were entirely on £20m+ international product launches at a Series-B fintech, which is the work the role is actually about.' One gap, one compensating strength, in two sentences.

Paragraph 2: Translate the proof (100-120 words). Pick 2-3 pieces of experience from your CV that map most directly onto the target role and explain the link explicitly. Don't paraphrase the CV — extract the most relevant pieces and translate them into the target-role's language. 'In my current role I've owned the roadmap for our SMB product line — I shipped 4 major releases in 18 months, ran the customer research that informed the next three quarters of work, and managed a team of 6 PMs and engineers. The role's emphasis on '0-to-1 product strategy with cross-functional team leadership' maps directly onto that.' Be specific. Use real numbers. Don't claim more than you actually did.

Paragraph 3: Close with intent (60-80 words). 'I'm aware this is a stretch in years of experience, and I've been preparing for senior PM roles deliberately — completed [specific course or certification], built [specific portfolio or side project], and spoken to [N] people in similar roles to understand what the work actually requires. I'd value the chance to discuss how my background could contribute to your team.' That last line is doing two jobs: it's polite, and it's explicitly asking for the conversation.

What never goes in this letter. Apologies for the gap. Long stories about why you're applying despite the gap. Anything about being passionate, dynamic, or a quick learner — these are the dead phrases of every cover letter and they signal nothing. References to your 'journey' (especially that word). Generic confidence ('I know I can excel in this role') without specific evidence.

What to skip from a standard cover letter. The opening 'I am writing to apply for [role] at [company]' line — every reader knows that already, and the underqualified letter has work to do. The closing 'I look forward to hearing from you' — the soft ask in paragraph 3 already covers it, and shorter is better.

The honest expectation. Underqualified cover letters work in roughly one in three or one in four applications. The ratio sounds low but it's actually meaningfully better than the 1-in-50 baseline that underqualified applications typically achieve without a strong cover letter. The letter is doing its job by getting you to interview when the CV alone wouldn't have. From interview onward, it's about whether you can demonstrate the substance — that's a different problem.