Apply Anyway!

Women now make up a majority of the US workforce, but we’re woefully underrepresented in positions of power. A Working Mother Research Institute report, “The Gender Gap at the Top,” revealed one of the main reasons for that: women’s reluctance to go for a job without meeting 100 percent of the qualifications on the listing. Men, on the other hand, apply when they meet only 60 percent, according to a Hewlett-Packard internal report.

But as these five women prove, it’s possible to get hired when your resume isn’t a perfect fit. Most often, it takes persistence, passion and people who have your back—be it a supportive spouse or powerful mentor.

Just as crucial: Hiring managers who believe talent can compensate for missing skills—a mindset that’s mandatory for closing the gender gap in the executive ranks, according to SAP co-CEO Jennifer Morgan, who recently said that business leaders need to “disrupt the traditional definition of ‘ready.’” In other words, managers must be open-minded