Those of us in the technology industry are well aware that our skills are in high demand. With demand so high and supply so low, it's easy to become arrogant. I've seen people take jobs in technology for the title and pay, but not for the skills. This blog will discuss the lessons I've learned from taking the risk of applying for a job for which I wasn't qualified.
It was a bright Monday morning in January 2019, and I had just finished my bath and breakfast, and was settling in to do some work. Before starting the day's work, I decided to check my emails and respond to some social media messages.
I responded to as many emails as I could and logged on to Twitter. "Even if you are not qualified for the job, keep applying," was the first tweet I saw. That struck me in an unexpected place, so I decided to act on it. I went on LinkedIn and applied for Blockchain Developer positions. I had been putting off the application for several months.
I had put off applying because I knew I only had beginner level skills for this field and no one hired beginners. I'd been a software developer for about 5 years and was well-versed in HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, and Wordpress, but Solidity, the language most job descriptions demanded at the time, was foreign to me. I had been taking tutorials and knew the basic syntax, but I was not confident in my abilities. I applied for these four jobs on LinkedIn while also continuing with a Wordpress design job I had on the go. A few hours later, I received a message from one of the recruiters requesting a phone call. He sent me a link to his calendar, and I chose a time that worked for me.
When we got on the phone, he asked me some basic questions about my background and experience. It was a happy time. He congratulated me on passing the interview and informed me that the project's CTO would contact me for the second phase. I was ecstatic and anticipatory. The CTO contacted me three days later, sent me a calendar, and we agreed on a time.
I was extremely nervous on the day of the interview. I researched possible CTO interview questions, common blockchain interview questions, and so on. I answered the phone at the appointed time and began with pleasantries. He inquired about me and my background, and I told him everything he needed to know. I even embellished a few details. He then told me about himself and his company.
It was an already established gaming company that was just venturing into Web3 and offering incentives such as Play to Earn. The CTO was extremely knowledgeable, having spent over 25 years developing games. He soon began inquiring about Solidity, as that was what they were looking for. I had no trouble answering the first few questions. He opened some basic code and asked me to explain it, which I did.
He then opened a smart contract and asked me to walk him through it, but I couldn't get past the first 5 lines of code. I began to sweat profusely because, even as a beginner, I should have been able to move further. I continued to panic and sweat profusely as he waited for my response with a smile. I hung up and waited 5 minutes before reconnecting. I apologized and blamed it on my slow internet connection.
Then he said, "You know what?" "Open your Github and show me some solidity code you've written and explain what you did." I was aware that all of the Solidity code in my Github repository had been forked and that I had not written it, so I disconnected from the call again while sharing the screen and never returned. I was so embarrassed and ashamed that it took me over two years to resume applying for blockchain developer positions.
I was embarrassed for weeks about how the interview went, but I was able to forgive myself and move on. I began learning aggressively, and after about a year of study, I took on and completed my first smart contract project. I've since worked on several blockchain projects, either alone or as part of a team, but I didn't interview for a job in the field until April 2022. While the interview was unsuccessful, it was not humiliating by any means.
Applying for a job for which I am ineligible has taught me a lot about myself. I've discovered that I'm a lot stronger and more capable than I ever imagined. I've learned to deal with rejection and setbacks. I've discovered that I am capable of accomplishing anything I set my mind to. All of these are valuable lessons that I will carry with me in the future.
The most important lesson I learned from this entire experience was to never give up. I've learned that it's critical to keep trying, even when the odds appear insurmountable. I've also learned how important it is to be resilient in the face of rejection. I've learned that it's critical to believe in myself and my abilities and to keep working toward my goals until I achieve them.
This blog has covered a wide range of topics, but my main takeaway from writing this post was that I shouldn't be afraid to try something I'm passionate about, even if I don't think I'm the best person for it. I believe that if you are passionate about what you do and are willing to work hard and learn, you will be able to accomplish great things. If you liked this article, please spread the word by sharing it with your friends and family. Thank you for your time!