What to do if you don't have the exact skills an employer needs?

I was talking to an advertiser about maximising their job advert and getting them to think about the skills they must have versus desired skills.

This got me thinking that if you are a candidate, how or even should you challenge the "must have" skills the advertiser is seeking?

The world, technology, business, processes etc are changing so fast these days that surely it is better to employ someone who can learn and adapt to new skills than someone who has the exact skills today but hasn't shown an ongoing ability to learn and adapt easily.

As a candidate you need to demonstrate that you can pick up skills quickly using specific examples, whilst highlighting other really important qualities like understanding the latest business processes and creating market demand.

You need to be mindful that the potential Employer has put a lot of thought and effort into what skills they think they need, so challenge this carefully and positively through demonstrating your past success, your ability to learn and your desire to succeed.