Friend submitted resume for two positions being offered in Corporate HR. I received a call from the Director and came in for an interview. The Director was a seasoned HR Generalist leading an HR Tech area at the time and asked thought-provoking questions based on real scenarios. Although I didn't have all the prerequisites, this pro saw past this and realized my knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of project work trumped all of that. It took a month for her to convince higher-ups stuck on those prerequisites that they were not as important as the qualities she saw I could bring to the position and the company. Many years and promotions later, all seem to forget their opposition.