Don't Ask, Don't Get—Professional advice.

Computer programmers, by nature of their job, need to tend towards being very candid in opinions and factual knowledge, as well as critical and honest when it comes to facts. As a result of the kind of work we do, we typically take written word very literally and very seriously.

But that doesn't always work in the professional world. For example, when it comes to job postings. When it comes to being a professional, there is one lesson that's sat with me always, since my dad first told it to me:

Don't ask, don't get.

Of course, his other favorite quote was from a Rolling Stones song, but let's not go there for now. For now, I'll discuss the lesson, then exposit my recent professional progress, and then discuss how it relates to this very valuable lesson.

Don't fit the requirements? Are you sure?

Job postings always have pretty high standards. "Seeking entry level software architect with five years of experience" is not uncommon to hear. So many junior programmers such as myself might think, "How exactly is five years of experience entry level?" And it's very easy to, as a result, feel like we aren't qualified for a job.

Here's the thing: HR departments might deal with tons of applications. Tons. And to businesses, that's overhead for seeking to invest in a new employee—in an ideal world, employees would come to them for free, the process would cost nothing, and the business could choose to invest in you. But when sifting through fifty applications, all of which look good, can't they all seem banal?

As a result, one of the most common strategies for HR departments to reduce the number of applicants is to set high standards. That way, one of two things will happen: either they'll find someone who actually meets those high standards (good), or they'll find someone who has the confidence to apply in spite of not meeting those standards (also good). In addition, the number of applications will go down, leading to a better batch of applicants to choose from. It makes perfect business sense, doesn't it?

And when a company hires you, they know they're going to have to train you for the job. You're not just a cog that can automatically fall into your role, without any trouble whatsoever. Even senior programmers experience this when getting accustomed to a new environment.

Japan's business style betrays aptitude over knowledge, experience

In Japan (also known as the third biggest economy in the world), school is done very differently. As early as middle school, students have to take rigorous tests in order to be selected for a particular school. College entrance exams are something like the SAT on steroids, and only the top scorers can get into the top national universities. And once you're in college, you don't really do a whole lot. Classes are easy, and many students schmooze their way through without doing much work—because what really matters, more than the degree or skills you might learn (which are more emphasized in the US), is which college you went to.

The reason the college is more important than the degree is that it means you got high test scores. High test scores mean you have a high aptitude to learn new knowledge. If you get a degree from Tokyo University, you can get a job pretty much anywhere, doing pretty much anything (oversimplifying a little bit, here).

Things are different in the US, but this perspective might help american job hunters realize this: more important than existing knowledge is a professional openness and readiness to learn something new. Companies don't need experts, especially at the entry level—even if they say they want five years' experience. What they need is someone they can invest in, who will provide a large return on that investment down the road.

And that invariably means high aptitude.

That's why, next time you look at a job posting that says something like "seeking entry level software architect with five years of experience," you ought to go ahead and apply anyways if you believe you can do the job—if you believe you can learn the skills required for the job. Let the company decide whether to hire you; don't decide for them!

"Don't ask, don't get"—My story

Up the same vein is the aphorism itself: if you don't ask for the job, you're definitely not going to get it.

About two months ago I found a job posting for a software engineering internship, with the following requirements:

• A good understanding of C#, the Visual Studio IDE, and the .NET framework

Upon reading the job posting, I had none of those. I had used Java for a number of personal projects, and C++ at school, but never C#, and I had hardly touched Visual Studio, and I definitely hadn't read up on the .NET framework.

What's more, the job posting was for a summer internship, and was posted in July. I was reading this in early September. At a guess, any reasonable person would say the position had been filled and I didn't stand a chance—doubly so, because I didn't meet the requirements!

But you know what? I took a shot. I did some research to figure out who my boss would be, and sent him a quick email, to this effect:

Hello,

My name is Nick Giampietro. I am a senior at [University] looking to enter the professional world of software engineering, and I have found [company] to be what I consider a great match for my skills, interests and pursuits.

Before I mail my résumé  I would like to inquire as to whether the position for a software engineering intern has been filled—I found the posting through a web service, and noted that it was posted over two months ago and was labeled as a "summer" position. The odds seem slim, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask as I am very interested in working with [company].

Please let me know whether that position has already been filled, and/or whether you might be interested in a part-time, fall internship with a new intern. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thank you for your time,
Nick Giampietro

He replied just a few hours later, informing me that the position was indeed still opened, and inviting me to send my resume (which any programmer would agree doesn't currently show a high level of programming experience). Instead of deciding for him that I wasn't qualified, I went ahead and sent it to him, along with this email:

Hello,

I attached my résumé, which I think you will find to be a little atypical but I believe showcases both my deep-rooted interest in programming, and my ability to quickly pick up any kind of project and excel. I am always enthusiastic about broadening my base of experience.

If you believe I could fit the needs of your company, I am eager to meet in person so that I can get up to speed, and both learn from and contribute to your existing projects.

Thank you again for your time and consideration!
Nick

I was tempted to somehow apologize or excuse myself for a "distracted" résumé (as a PSU career counselor diplomatically put it), but decided that I don't need to apologize. It's not personal; it's business. Further, even if my résumé doesn't have a lot of professional programming experience, it shows that I have skills which are highly valuable as a programmer (consider the similarities between translating between two languages and writing a computer program).

In being honest about my résumé, I hoped to communicate that I am both candid about knowledge and, following that, that I still believed I would be able to live up to his expectations.

Next thing I know, I had a phone interview with him, where I communicated my educational and professional goals, and he explained more about the company. Things seemed to fit together well, so we scheduled an in-person interview. All the while, I kept worrying to myself, "I'm not qualified for this! I don't have what they want!"

That's when I reminded myself to let them decide that, and not do it for them. So I made a plan: I hoped to demonstrate also that I am a fast learner, so I went to the library and picked up four textbooks on C# and .NET, and skimmed through them all over the weekend. It was not a fun weekend, but in doing the in-book exercises and taking what I considered "crash course" notes, I learned a lot.

At the interview, I was grilled by five people at once—four of whom were programmers. There I did one thing: I was totally honest about what  I knew. For example, when asked about my C# sharp experience, I immediately replied with "none, but I'm familiar with other curly-bracket languages and am eager to learn."

I also told them about the reading I did over the weekend, prompting them to quiz me. They did, and I did about as well as one might expect—but they seemed impressed with what I picked up that quickly. Then I got the line: "We'll get back to you."

After two weeks of waiting, the whole time worried they were going to turn me down, I got a call from their HR department with an offer. I gladly accepted, so glad that I went ahead and gave it a shot.

Conclusion

It seems like every "field" has a saying to this effect: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, for sports, and there are even a whole colorful array of them for dating, none of which I'm willing to quote. But they all boil down to this: Don't ask, don't get.

Today was my first day at my new job, and I'll tell you what: it's intimidating. But I keep reminding myself that as long as I go ahead and take a shot, and give it my all, I won't have any regrets—only growth. And I t think I'll grow a lot, working here.

Here's what I hope you take away from this:

• If you don't meet the 'actual' requirements for a job, but think you could do it, take a shot
• Be totally honest, and express how eager you are to learn and do a great job
• Be ready to back yourself up—nothing wrong with cramming for an interview
• If you feel like you should apologize, don't—instead, use that energy to prepare yourself
• Even if the odds seem slim that some job is still opened, ask anyways. You'll either be no worse off, or better off. Always ask!
• Remember that employment is to be mutually beneficial
• They invest their resources in you, and you provide return on that investment with knowledge and service, because you have aptitude
• Likewise, you invest your time and effort in them, and they provide you an environment in which you can grow professionally, and expand your knowledge. Oh, and you get paid.