Thread by @AfroRoboticist

Why you should apply for jobs even when they are clearly above your skill level!!!

A thread of true life events.

Note: This is just to encourage u to try out 3 pointer jump shots.
Risk it!

Sooo I have this friend (more like acquaintance) who currently works as an Agile Coach (fancy name for software project planner).

Before he got in the Agile line, he did something that fascinates me till today.

For the sake of anonymity i'll call him Binti.

Soo in 2015, Binti was looking to get into the IT line and didn't know how to proceed. At this point he was out of work & was looking to try something new.
He got online & immediately got hooked on the job profile of a Business Analyst. Binti was one who loved number crunching..

He began to research the job, took a few short courses on using some analytical tools, spoke to a few people on linkedIN and began to plan... Note: Binti had ZERO experience as a BA.

Sometime in February 2016, he had gathered enough knowledge to whip up a CV.

Trust me when I say his CV was MINT! I saw it and even I was blown away.

NB: I do not encourage putting false work experience on CVs. The idea behind this thread is to show u how possible it is to get in the door. That's all.

Moving onnnn...

So Binti put out his CV online..

And as expected, the calls started coming in. He would need to seat for interviews of course. He got some Indian friend of his to coach him on BA interviews (yes these services exist). He learned a lot and was ready...

After about 5 interviews, Binti got an offer from a Fortune 100 company. Note: This person had no prior experience as a BA, all he did was prep with that Job profile in mind

6 Figure salary offered, 401k, permanent position.

My guy was soooo excited. He took the job.

Now this is kinda the funny part..

After one month of adjusting, Binti realized this was gonna be tough. He was given all sorts of financial documentation he had never seen in his life. Couldn't make heads or tails of certain policies etc. Basically he struggled.

3 months in, Binti resigned. He realized he needed a deeper skillset to handle that particular Job function. Today he's an Agile coach for a huge company and earns 6 figures.

Learnings:

1 - When HR personnel write job descriptions, a lot of the time, they exaggerate requiremnts

2 - If you have some experience in a particular field generally, it is more than likely that the extra stuff required to be a Senior or Management personnel can be picked up on the go so APPLY.

3 - A lot of companies don't read ur CV. They just scheme for Buzz words and invite U

3 cont'd -and so Putting a good CV together is very doable, HR personnel are looking for certain things and that can be achieved.

4 - In tech, a lot of the time, ur educational background is irrelevant. U can do sociology & still code. Most people don't bother with that.

5 - If u prepare properly for interviews, it is very likely u will impress. Irrespective of ur depth of knowledge. Ur interviewers are human, therefore there's a lot of subjectivity that goes into the process. Most times it's a game of "Who blinks first".

6 - In the real world, U are allowed to exaggerate ur achievements. If U helped design the UI of an ecommerce platform, it is okay to say Built xxxxxxxxx.com from the ground up using X Y and Z. Note: Even courses count as work experience. Get creative.

7 and Finally:
Believe in urself. Self confidence is contagious. There's something about a confident person that screams HIRE ME, even when they're b*llsh*ting.

It is possible to get in the door. Exaggerate but be sincere. Put in that work.

Hope this thread made some sense.