An Unqualified Guide: How to Address Feeling Under-Qualified in Your Current Job
As an early hire in a startup, you will likely find yourself in a position where you are under-qualified for a certain job. Strike that. You will probably find yourself under-qualified for several different jobs at the same time. Breathe. This is a good place to be; you will learn and grow. It''s usually just a matter of demystification and context awareness. That said, it can be intimidating when you have such a responsibility to keep the company afloat and manage expectations. For those who are up for the challenge but feel under-qualified, here are three things I’ve learned from being in a similar position.
Make sure you have a chance to win.
A lot of times, failure occurs because it was the only option. The scope of the project was too big or the success was not properly defined. As you get handed a project, problem, or department, know whether or not what you are trying to do is possible. Note that I didn’t say probable—goals should push probably, but there should be a chance at success. Evaluate the variables (both known and unknown), make sure you understand how to win, and make sure that stakeholders agree.
Plan for failure.
As you devise your strategy, make sure there isn’t a single point of failure that is dependent on someone else. If there is, then you would do well to plan for their failure. Good managers plan for success and for failure. Arguably, the best managers don’t form the best plans; they are best at recovering from failures.
Move a metric immediately.
As you take over or develop a strategy, move a metric immediately. An early risk to progress is spending too much time deliberating. Usually, you are being handed a responsibility because some result is required, and usually, the problem’s solution isn’t obvious or it would have probably been solved already. To avoid getting caught up in paralysis by analysis, move the needle on something right away. This shows people you are serious, committed, and capable. Don’t worry about scaling or sustainability, just make something move in the right direction. Doing so will buy you breathing room to figure out a longer-term, more sustainable solution.
It can be hard to feel confident while feeling under-qualified. Taking these three steps can help increase your success rate, giving you more and more opportunities to grow. So remember: make sure you have a chance to win, plan for failure, and get started making an impact immediately.
