Are You Even Qualified?
“Orville Wright didn’t have no pilot’s license.” Jeff Daniels, from the song Orville Wright
Last week we talked about the effects of Imposter Syndrome. This week, I thought I would follow that up with the idea of being qualified. As per usual, let’s start ourselves off with a story.
I used to have this boss who was super smart. I’d even wager that this person was a borderline genius with a deep understanding of technology and all of the pitfalls that surrounded it. Like the Tony Stark of Mortgage Technology, if that is even a thing. But as with every good superhero, there was a big weakness. In this case, the weakness was always being overwhelmingly impressed by fancy qualifications on a resume.
I will admit that admiring a resume with an impressive list of experience and accomplishments isn’t inherently bad. In fact, the whole point of a resume is to give us a base indication of the level of experience that a person has in their field. That said, there are several pitfalls to watch out for when reading a resume.
As for my boss, this person would see someone who appeared to be an “expert” in the field and instantly, would have an inflated opinion of them as a candidate. This caused an issue for a couple of reasons. First, I assume that everyone embellishes their resume to a point. I’m not saying that people are lying but obviously they are presenting the absolute best picture of themselves to their future employer. As they should. So as a hiring manager, it is our job to dig deeper and find out what the candidate is really bringing to the table.
Second, being an expert doesn’t mean that they will work well within the environment of your organization or fit the company’s culture. It is frankly is a disservice to both the candidate and the company to bring in someone who won’t succeed. This is why my hiring process was much different because I sought first and foremost to find someone who would be a successful fit within the team.
Have you ever been told you wouldn’t fit in a job role because on paper you weren’t qualified? Yet, deep down you knew that you could be successful in the role if they just gave you a chance? You may not have the specific degree they are looking for, but you have the practical experience and still that doesn’t make you “qualified.”
This brings me back to the original inspiration for the article — that awesome quote from musician/actor, Jeff Daniels. And what he says is true, Orville Wright didn’t have a pilot’s license — obviously. But the Wright brothers were infinitely qualified to fly that plane even if on paper they didn’t actually appear to be. What was their main job before flying you ask? Bicycle repair, which has nothing to do with being a pilot.
But the fundamentals of mechanics and how to build an airplane — well the whole bicycle repair gig actually dovetails nicely into that, eh? This meant that while they were overlooked as people who could succeed in the first flight, they did it anyway.
So what about you? What is it in your life that you don’t appear qualified to do and yet everything in your experience may be leading you towards? What are you going to about that? Will you simply continue on your current path and not take a chance?
For years I believed I had good things to say and good lessons to teach surrounding leadership. Even before I had been a manager of people. I believed that I understood people and their motivations — and that I could use this to be an effective leader and to help others do so as well. But on paper I wasn’t qualified. Even with my experience now, my resume would never make someone think of me as an expert.
And while my status as an “expert” is, and should be suspect, I still get great feedback from people who say that my blog has made a big difference in their lives. So maybe being an expert isn’t required to be successful after all.
In my case, I was finally able to get someone to take a chance on me and let me start leading people and prove that I could do it. But I wasn’t hired by the boss I mentioned above. If fact, had they been the hiring manager, they would have never even given me an interview based on my lack of experience. Still, I went on to be very successful in my career at that company.
All that of course was only step one. Step two in following my passion, despite my “lack of experience,” was leaving that comfortable job and stepping out on my own to do what I really was passionate about.
So what is my advice for you? First off, don’t be afraid to follow your passion even if you aren’t qualified on paper. Second, ask yourself honestly about your own experience and knowledge and whether or not that makes you feel ready to take on your passion.
After that, the next two options diverge like paths in the woods. You can choose to take on work, even entry level to gain “qualifications,” working towards your goal. Alternatively, you can push off on your own and make your own rules, gaining a reputation of success on your own terms.
As I mentioned before, I have tried both paths and they are both equally valid. You have to decide for yourself which one makes more sense for you.
One of my talents is helping people along that very path, so if you want to talk about it, send me an email at jason@yourturncoach.com and lets talk!
-Jason