Got a Job You Aren’t Sure You Are Actually Qualified to Do?

March 23, 2022

In the world of business, there is always an element of “fake it till you make it.” However, there may come a point in your job where you’re left wondering if you can pull this off. It happens. You may just focus on landing a job that you fail to realize the reality that you may not exactly know what you’re doing. Here’s what you can do to get yourself back on track.

Are You Underqualified?

What To Do if You Feel Underqualified for the Job

If you have that drowning feeling, you’re probably not alone. The data tells us that about 42% of job applicants don’t meet the skillset of the positions they apply for. The reality is:

Three out of every four professionals say they would apply for a job they’re obviously not qualified for.
62% of candidates are offered positions they aren’t fully qualified for.
But—good news—84% of companies are willing to train a candidate who is underqualified for the job they’re hired for.

So, with this information in hand, take stock of what’s happening around you and realize this truth: You were hired for a reason. Unless you somehow lied your way into the job, the hiring team found something in you that made you the top pick out of all the other applicants. That’s significant to think about for a moment. How many interviews did you go through? Most companies do phone, Zoom, and sometimes in-person interviews. You probably met a lot of people along the way. You may have even had an aptitude or other type of test. It’s not like you snuck in a back door with a stolen employee ID tag, okay? You landed this job on your merit.

Avoid Self-Doubt

What this doesn’t mean is that you’re going to know how to do everything perfectly right out of the gate (or even, at 90-days). You probably don’t have all the skills you need (yet!) to do the job. But somewhere along the way during the interview process, the hiring team saw your potential. Stop doubting yourself and listen to what they’re telling you.

Self-doubt can erode your confidence. It can even impede your ability to ask for help when you need it. It can launch a snowball of worries about your next meeting where you’ll be “found out” that you’re a fraud. This could force you to passively give up the fight, keep your head down, and wait for the ax to fall. Don’t fall into this trap.

Ultimately, it is your self-doubt that may lead you to fail in this job. Self-doubt is a job-killer. You may start thinking about quitting. You may panic that you’ll be “found out” as a fraud. If you focus on this kind of negativity, it not only may sour the job for you, it will keep you from focusing on what you should be doing—which is taking on the challenge to overcome weakness and replace it with new skills. So, quash that self-doubt and get to work!