Just wanted to share this because a few months ago I probably wouldn’t have believed it myself. Not to boast, but to share my experience.
I’ve not finished uni yet, and I’ve just been offered a role in a field I wanted to move into, despite the job spec asking for around 5 years of experience.
I’m currently finishing a master’s related to the area, but I don’t come from a traditional background for the role at all. What made the difference was being proactive.
Instead of just applying cold and hoping for the best, I reached out to the hiring manager for a coffee chat about the function of the department and showed genuine interest in the area. A while later, I sent over a personal project I had done off my own back that was relevant to the type of work the team does. That led to more conversations, then I was asked to complete assessment tasks similar to the actual role.
I put a lot into those, got really strong feedback, and was then encouraged to apply formally. From there I went through interviews and have now been offered the job.
Biggest takeaway for me:
being underqualified on paper is not always the end of the story if you can show real interest, initiative, evidence of ability, and that you’re someone worth taking a chance on.
Obviously this won’t happen every time, but I do think being proactive helped massively. Sometimes you have to create a bit of your own luck instead of waiting for the perfect opening.