I am starting the phone screen process for a software engineering position where I may be less qualified than they prefer. For example, I do not have one of their five bullets under their required section. It is a small company, and I would really like to work there, so getting my foot in the door is important. How can I express that I would settle for a contract/temporary/internship/alternative position? Or would it be unwise to express this? Also, should I provide a number to the "expected salary" question when I am mostly interested in gaining experience?
I am new to the field with about 2 years experience after a career change, and I have 1.5 years of part-time experience as a research assistant, along with a few classes and side projects. I devote almost all of my time to my craft, and I believe that I would be a successful fit with their team. I want to show that I'm receptive, eager to learn, and capable of learning. How can I communicate this?
Update
Thanks for the responses. I have applied to about 20 places, got 5-8 phone screens, and no offers. At this point, I wouldn't mind an internship, but internship applications require me to be in a degree program. I have a college degree already, and it is in environmental science. Perhaps I can write a new question about how to get an internship. In the meantime, I am continuing my personal projects and open-source contributions.
If you can offer additional advice, that would be great too.