The strongest candidates aren't always the ones with the perfect CV.

Some of the best conversations I've had with candidates started with, "I know I probably don't have enough experience for this role..."
This was one of them.

I was recruiting for a Communications Strategist position for a semi-government entity.
The brief was clear.
The client wanted professionals with at least five years of communications experience.

During my search, I came across a candidate whose CV immediately stood out, but not for the obvious reason.

She had spent less than two years working in communications.
On paper, she shouldn't have made the shortlist.
Most recruiters would probably have moved on.
Instead, I called her.

Within the first few minutes, I realised the CV wasn't telling the full story.
She had started her career as an engineer before moving internally into communications.

Outside of work, she had already built an impressive portfolio of writing, publishing articles, producing content for government initiatives and developing exceptional communication skills in both Arabic and English.

The title on her CV didn't reflect the depth of what she had already accomplished.

What impressed me wasn't only her experience.
It was her curiosity.
Her confidence.
Her ability to explain ideas with clarity.
She had the qualities the role truly required, even if the timeline on her CV suggested otherwise.

I called the client.

I told them,
"I know she doesn't meet the years of experience you've requested. But I'd like you to give her one conversation. I genuinely believe she'll surprise you."
They agreed.

I encouraged her to prepare a presentation showcasing not only her professional experience, but everything she had achieved outside her formal role.
She walked into the interview ready to tell her story.

Out of every candidate presented, she reached the final three.
In the end, the organisation selected someone with significantly more experience.

But that wasn't the part that stayed with me.
After the process, she called simply to say thank you.
She told me that, for the first time, someone had looked beyond the number of years on her CV and believed she deserved the opportunity to be heard.

She didn't get the position.
She gained something equally important.
Confidence.
And I left that process with something too.
A reminder that experience matters.
But potential matters just as much.

Sometimes the role goes to the person with the longest career.
Sometimes the biggest impact comes from the person who simply needed someone willing to see beyond the obvious.

Because the strongest candidates aren't always the ones with the perfect CV.

Sometimes, they're the ones waiting for someone to ask the next question.