So, a week ago, I applied for a sales job in tech, a job and an industry I have no prior experience in.
I have done many jobs in this life but pure sales is not one of them. And I have doubted it could be the right direction for me until one month ago. And then it clicked that it might really be the most interesting and valuable next step for me.
Here is what I’ve learnt so far in the process of applying and interviewing for a job I think I might not be qualified for, yet want to do and interviewed for.
1. We sometimes (often) are wrong about how we think others perceive us.
How you feel about and introduce yourself is more important than how you think people see you or what you think your cv says about you. Yes, you will meet the occasional “Wait, so you are doing X? But weren’t you doing Y?” or “Oh so you’re going to do what everyone else is doing?”.
Here is how you can answer to that: Yes, I am going to do X and I was doing Y. Yes, I am going to do what everyone else is doing.
Just affirm by the positive what the other person is saying, everyone will be in a much better disposition to move on to another topic after that, I promise. This way, everyone is right, and you are indeed doing what you are doing.
Does it mean they judge you for doing X? Not necessarily.
Does it mean you are judging yourself for doing X? More likely. (I’m part of this group; even if I have been trying to change, my insecurities pop up like they own the place in social contexts)
So what if you had a chance at Z job or C education or even if P person did want to have a coffee together? And all you had to do is say: “I am interested.” Wouldn’t it be great?
Here is the good news:
2. Expressing interest earns you interest
Read that again: when you express interest, you become more interesting.
It feels good to hear “please tell me more” or “I love what you do”. And more often than not, by saying just that, I’ve made connections, talked to people I wanted to talk with, gotten help at getting one step closer to the job I want to do.
3. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no
This one has been a staple I go back to for whenever I doubt doing or asking for something. It encourages me to just try.
And it’s brought me closer to my dreams. Mind you, I fulfilled the wishes I had.
I thought I would never get back into university after dropping out of college and leaving without a bachelor degree. But I decided to try and applied to a few universities for a Masters degree. After some refusals, one university took me in. And the one at the top 2 of my wishlist.
I thought I would not hear back from a Digital project manager position when I got out of this university because I had no experience in digital. I applied as research to find out about salaries and a bit for fun too because I knew I wouldn’t get it. I got the job. And loved the team. I wasn’t expecting that.
After starting this job, I ended up wanting to go back to college to study design and fulfill my childhood dream of going to art school + a more romantic dream of living in Italy. So I worked through the night after work for months to build a somewhat starter-portfolio of drawings. And I started applying. I heard no at first. Until one university took a chance on me and said yes.
This same mindset got me my first job at a world famous architecture office in Tokyo (wtf) just 10 months after. I couldn’t believe it, I also really didn’t think it would work. People around me also didn’t believe it would work (I have learnt a big lesson there too, people mirror back our self beliefs, might as well believe in yourself then). It also got me where I am now, living in Amsterdam and applying for a job in sales.
Ask for what you want. Try. Give yourself a chance, and then another one.
4. When you hear a yes, ask for help to prepare
This has been a big difference: to ask for support in making changes.
I’ve moved and taken on new jobs on my own, and taken on more hardship on my shoulders than I needed to. And I’ve grown tired of doing this, I burnt out once and then twice.
So I decided to change my behaviour. Why would you want to do hard things alone when you can have support along the way? What if I told you that if you dare saying “hey this is hard for me, can you help or do you know someone who can?” someone might answer the call? Maybe not the friend you were relying on, but there is someone out there who wants to help you. Your job is to find them.
You’ll have to be brave and vulnerable. I know it’s hard, so one more reason to get support.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help and the generosity of many people for their time, their energy, their knowledge, their experience and their snacks.
5. There is no right time to build self-confidence, it will always be scary
There is no right time to make a big change, or make a small change. There is no right time to be brave and to be honest with yourself about who you are.
There is one time: now.
Tomorrow will be now soon. Just like an hour ago used to be now.
I’m not saying to change your whole life right now.
But I am saying that we all have a big heart, the gift of experiences and the sparkle of interests.
And when we dare and say the thing that is important for us,
when we dare and ask for something we need,
when we find the courage to say no to someone or something that doesn’t work for us,
when we dare to lean into the vulnerability of an open conversation to understand the other and ourselves better,
right there, after we do it, we will find the confidence to dare yet another time.
It does get a tiny bit easier with practice, but scary it might always somewhat be.
I’m still worried about being rejected when I interrupt a meeting to say that I am not ok with what was just said or done and suddenly all the attention is on me. I lose my words even.
But the feeling I have in my whole body right after having spoken up, deep, somewhere in the silence, this feeling is knowing that I can trust myself, I can rely on myself, and that I am free now. This makes it worth it.
So I applied for a sales job, I got support to do so. Next thing I know, I got called in for an interview. Guess what I did? Asked for help and two generous and kind people answered the call.
I did the interview, I didn’t get the job, so I applied for another one and got another interview.
And I’m so proud that despite the doubts I still found about my qualifications, I didn’t let this dictate how I introduce myself or how I think others would see me. This whole process has reminded me of the power of connection and of three simple sentences:
I am interested.
Yes, I’d love some help.
What if I try?
Use them more often.
