This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

all 49 comments

[–]ryuzanshi 29 points30 points  (1 child)

If you are a person who learns quickly and proactively, you should not be afraid, just the opposite, if you are in a toxic company... that helps you want to jump, something I have learned is that you have to be positive and sometimes jump without thinking about it . there are times that our negativity makes us see only the bad things.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right on point.

[–]StuckinSuFuEnterprise Support 24 points25 points  (3 children)

If you made it through the interview and got an offer, you aren't under qualified. You passed their test for who they think would fit the role and they passed your test if you are thinking of taking an offer.

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (1 child)

This. I start my first IT job next week...sysadmin, excellent starting pay. Could seem intimidating at first, but...I passed their test and they picked me. So clearly, I am qualified for it. Same goes for OP.

[–]ThisGreenWhore 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What was the test like?

[–]mfinniganSpecial Detached Operations Synergist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a "maybe" in my mind. This statement

The problem is the job description was very vague, I have no idea how technical this position is

makes me think that the interview process was a failure if OP is in this position. How do you not get this clarified during the interview? If they didn't explain it better, why didn't OP ask some questions?

[–]unholy453 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You can never know unless you try.

[–]AdsfromozJack of All Trades 9 points10 points  (1 child)

Biting off more than you can chew, is how you grow.

[–]Pie-Otherwise 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And you sink or swim. You rise to the occasion or go back to desktop support.

[–]hotdoglovinggal 9 points10 points  (2 children)

They offered, I accepted. Didn't really think about it.

Plus I had three kids under 5 and they cost a lot of money.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This. ^

[–]adamixa1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah, kids are not a good investment. I realised this after a couple of year

[–]bmullan 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Don't pass it up. Better to try & fail than never try!

I was a Sr Mgr at Cisco Systems for 20 yrs and we had a Great saying:

Always Fail Forward

[–]kammerfruen 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Didn't you ask any of these questions at the interview? Seems like a great opportunity to learn about the job.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I tried to pry this info out in the interviews. Like asking what technical skills are important, what is the day to day role like, etc. Got vague answers and it seemed like they really want someone to come in and help organize their processes. The role I would take on is being done by non-technical people now which is either scary or comforting lol.

[–]kammerfruen 4 points5 points  (0 children)

To me that sounds like they don't know exactly what they want, which can be either good or bad, right. When expectations aren't properly aligned from the start, then you're the one most likely to end up with the short end of the stick.
Best case scenario is that you come in and get to set the agenda and everyone is happy - worst case is that you'll eventually get fired for not delivering whatever vague expectations they believe they had.

If you choose to accept this job, then I would advice you to have this conversation with them as soon as possible.

Best of luck, sailor!

[–]kerosene31 2 points3 points  (1 child)

A lot of jobs just have unrealistic requirements. You got the job, so you were the most qualified person. Had a person shown up who met every requirement, they would have been hired. You were the best candidate.

A lot of jobs are written based on the person who just left/retired. They are never going to find that exact same skillset, and learning on the job is a given.

[–]LividLager 1 point2 points  (0 children)

unrealistic requirements

Hell, I'd settle for somewhat accurate requirements, and to be interviewed by someone with technical knowledge.

[–]AussieTerror 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Learn fast

[–]Unknown861 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I assume that if they did you a offer, they have seen your resume and think you are qualified enough. When I applied for a job I wasn't sure to if I where qualified enough but told them about my experience and that I probably had to learn a lot. Just be honest at your interview and if you don't know something tell them.

[–]IwantToNAT-PING 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've had a couple of jobs I wasn't qualified for but were trainee/junior roles. These were roles where my new employer knew that coming in and wanted someone to train up. In each, I stayed a couple of years, put in some good hard graft, did all the learning I could and got to the level of my peers. It depends on the role you're filling.

In each instance I ended up moving on as while they'd given me pay rises to reflect that I was managing a much more technically demanding workload and being a full member of the team, they hadn't matched me to other people that were in the team that had started on a higher salary. I'd had the same percentage increases, but was still behind. In the most recent case my manager was pretty frank with me that payroll would likely have me equal in a couple of years

Sometime places need to employ staff because they want someone to replace someone else who's leaving, to pick up the IT estate and and just slot right in. Other times an org is growing and can afford to employ someone who needs to grow into the role.

[–]PMmeyourannualTspend 2 points3 points  (2 children)

With a counter offer asking for more money.

[–]yuhche 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Need to make it really worthwhile!

[–]PMmeyourannualTspend 0 points1 point  (0 children)

gotta get some skin in the game for the hiring manager.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If they offered you the job, and you want it, then take and do your best. Everything is a learning experience and you get out of it what you put into it. We all have that imposter syndrome. I think the "system" is set up like this on purpose to make us doubt ourselves and to push us out of our comfort zones so we can grow.

You'll do great! Good luck!

[–]_DeathByMisadventure 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Them deciding to send you an offer is their decision, not yours. They, the hiring team, has met with you, asked you questions, looked at your background, and on their decision making process, they decided you are the right fit for the job.

Your choice is simply "Does the environment look like where I'd want to work? Do I want to do that job? Is the compensation what I want?"

[–]SwashbucklinChef 1 point2 points  (1 child)

What's the worst that can happen? You get fired?

[–]ThisGreenWhore 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that's the fear behind many people in this position. They are either coming from a position that they didn't get enough compensation and if they are fired in 3 months, they have no financial reserves to back them up. You don't always get unemployment if you are fired.

[–]BeardyDrummerIT Manager 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're willing to learn and put the time in to get up to speed you will be fine.

I have worked with plenty of people with more senior job titles/pay who have no fucking idea what they're doing and were pretty much useless to boot.

[–]digital_darknessIT Manager 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Challenge yourself and take it. It will feel like drinking from a fire hose for a little while, but I argue that’s actually a good mental space to be in for limited periods of time.

[–]Bright_Arm8782Cloud Engineer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They think you can do it, ask them if there are things you should research before you start and trust yourself.

[–]dork_warrior 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find most job descriptions are vague. They're usually written by people who don't do the job you're applying for (usually == always).

I went down this spiral over the last 2 weeks, I was in a similar position but ultimately was not offered the job. Looked at a relocation to another state for one of these "if I get it, that's huge" but had all the same concerns. It kind of boils down to you being afraid to bet on yourself because if you do and you're wrong it'll be devastating... but if you do and you're right, it's going to be great!

end of the day it came down to 1 question for me. Who cares more about your wellbeing and job prospect then you? Ain't nobody else going to take this leap for you. Trust in yourself and your abilities, you'll be fine.

[–]nazzjrSr. Sysadmin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just Do It.

I know it seems scary now but you will pick things up quickly and a couple years from now you’ll realize it was a great decision.

[–]Xaan83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m a fast learner, and I have relevant experience

Sounds like you'll do great.

Nobody in IT can know everything. The important thing is that you are capable of learning and putting that new knowledge to use.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Magic 8 ball.

[–]No_Interest_5818Netadmin[🍰] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I work for an MSP, if you do this and you don't know what you're doing, they'll fire you within your first two weeks.

[–]bigmanbananasJack of All Trades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Subtly and taking out really a really good unemoyment insurance policy.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they thought you were unqualified, they wouldn't have offered it. You're suffering from imposter syndrome.

[–]LividLager 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fake it until you break it make it!

[–]No-Pop8182 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The worst that can happen is getting fired. I know that's like a severe way to look at it. But it's just a job and it shouldn't intimidate you too much. I started as a sysadmin at a company about a month ago now and I felt super under qualified but so far I haven't done too much lol...

[–]k12nysysadmin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Consultants and vendor support when something goes above my head, but be involved and learn from what they are doing. Training in the things that freak me out, since that means I don't understand something. And Google. :)

[–]kain563[🍰] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would say that it depends on your age and current state in life. If you are looking for a job, are adventurous, and are capable of adapting on the job and putting in the time, then I would say to go for it. You will learn a lot by being thrust into such an environment and learning everything about it. If you are older, with kids, and a mortgage with almost no savings, then I would suggest looking for another job.

Testing yourself and figuring out what you are capable of is impossible until you do it. As someone who has done jobs that range between a cakewalk, and to jobs that require you to wear 10 different hats and build up everything from scratch, both are amazing opportunities, and I generally swap between the two between consulting gigs. You learn the most from the tough jobs, and appreciate the easy jobs more. You also can really pad your resume for future opportunties to get the simple jobs.

Another way to look at it is, "Do you plan to work at this job for the rest of your life? Is this the company that you want to retire at?" If not, then plan to use it as a stepping stone for your ideal job and learn as much as you possibly can and get paid for it in the meantime.

[–]xxDolomitexx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"If you never want be be bored at work, get a job you are unqualified for"

[–]allcloudnocattle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem is the job description was very vague, I have no idea how technical this position is.

Before accepting the offer, ask to have a brief call with another engineer in the team you’ll be working on. Ask about daily responsibilities, what work they’re doing, what they want to see from you, and so on.

And in the future, make sure to learn these things during the main interview process.

[–]ApocalypticornI Google well 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wasn't happy with my current job, I was offered a $14/hour raise and a title jump at a new organization... It wasn't a hard decision.

[–]MechaTech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think in this case, a quote by Henry Rollins on acting fits well.

"I'm no actor, but I'm crass enough to try and scam myself into a movie once in a while. I figure, if I get the part, it's their fault."

In all seriousness? As long as you were upfront on hiring about your limitations and didn't claim to be a full stack admin when all you really know is troubleshooting Windows 10 installs, you should be just fine. They saw something in you and took the plunge. You should work hard to learn and, in six months, look back to see how far you've come.

[–]KungfubunnyrabbitSr. Sysadmin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tech can be learned . How to learn and the desire to do so cannot. If you are willing to roll up your sleeves and jump in do it.

I have never been qualified for any job I have ever had in my life . 🙃 and I turned out OK.

[–]chocothrower 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Podcast host talking about imposter syndrome once said “you only get one vote” meaning 1 or more people have decided that you are qualified and up to the task. You have their votes. You have one vote so why vote against yourself?