People Share How They Charmed Their Way Into High-Level Jobs

Have you ever wondered what might happen if you applied for a job for which you didn’t technically qualify? You know you could do the job, but the experience and education requirements are keeping you from submitting your resume. You can pad your resume, but not only does that feel unethical, you’re also afraid they’ll see right through you.

But what if those jobs you keep staring at the postings for – wishing you had the confidence to apply for them – aren’t as hard to get as you thought? For the industrious few, education and experience requirements are merely suggestions rather than expectations. Some even see them as a challenge. Here are stories from people who share how they charmed their way into high-level jobs…

The Wedding Planner

I was a wedding and event planner at the age of 17 (I’ve always looked older than I am). I had a class in interior design at my high school, and one of the projects was to design a fake business card. I ended up actually giving one to this lady at the supermarket who was talking about her wedding, but only as a personal joke between me and my mum, who was there with me.

A couple months later, she ended up calling and saying her original planner cancelled with her. After I realized I could make some money out of it, I was motivated to see it through. It was like something out of a movie, but I actually managed to pull off an entire wedding all before my high school graduation. I’m now a real, legitimate wedding and events planner – LLC and all. Reddit user: nobleghost

He Probably Already Knows

I charmed my way into a tech repair job. I asked my new boss if he could give me a quick rundown of their operating procedure with an example on the bench. He found that impressive, apparently. Apart from putting my PC together, I had no real experience at all. But I watched, learned, and asked for lots of second opinions in my first month.

Never got noticed, and got extra work from him using my software experience. I still freelance software solutions for him and his clients to this day. One day I might come clean and tell him that, when I got the job, I had no idea what I was doing. Part of me wants to believe that he’s known the whole time. Reddit user: [redacted]

If You Look American…

If you’re American – or even just look American – you can move to China to teach English with no experience. Or, so I heard from the internet. But, my friend and his girlfriend actually did it. She was Serbian and English wasn’t her native tongue, but you’d never know.

Her agent just told people she was American, and none of her students knew any better. She was getting $80 per hour teaching high paid execs/business people. My friend, a native English speaker, said that she was actually a way better teacher than him.

She did know all of the grammar rules from when she had to learn English as opposed to him just “knowing” them automatically, and not knowing why or what they were called. Neither had any experience at all, but both were just “American.” Reddit user: quindles

They Loved My Menu

I’m a pretty good cook, but never worked in catering professionally. I’d only just catered a few parties for friends. One day a small, posh cafe near my kids’ school put a sign saying they needed a head chef who made “foodie” foods rather than classically made food, etc.

I walked in, spoke with one of the owners, and told her I’m possibly what she’s looking for. That was on a Thursday, and she asked me to come back the next Monday with some dishes. Long story short: I came back Monday and had the job by Thursday.

I redesigned the menu, ran a team of five, and got everything running like clockwork. Customers loved the new menu. But, several weeks after starting, I found that they didn’t have a license to sell food. I bounced within 10 minutes of finding out. Not going down with that ship. Reddit user: thebigfrenchie

Accidental Computer Expert

My grandfather went into the Air Force straight out of high school. He goes for the aptitude test and they call him in afterwards to tell him he’s tested off the charts, and would be good at just about anything. They ask what he has experience in so they can place him somewhere, and he says the very first thing that comes to mind: “computers.” Computers are new and take up a whole room at this point.

He’s never seen one in his life, but convinced these officers that he’s had about as much experience as you could have at this point. First day on the job he’s thrown into a room with a bunch of scientists who can’t figure out why their computer isn’t working. He’s super nervous, but uses the modern day IT favorite: he turns it off and back on.

To his shock it works, and they praise him as the new computer expert. He read books and attended classes on the side, learning everything he possibly could, and became very successful. Not bad for a high school grad. Reddit user: LivytheHistorian

He Was One Step Ahead

Not me, but my grandpa charmed his way into an electrician position. He went into the interview talking about his experience, etc., and when they asked about his schooling, he said he got it from “XYZ” college, but lost his diploma. He totally nailed his interview, so the company called the college.

Grandpa did his research, and was one step ahead of them. The school he said he went to suffered a massive fire that led to the loss of a ton of important documents – he did actually have a diploma from that school, just not the one that he said he did.

After learning everything there was to learn at that job, he went in as a lineman for a major electric company in the state where he was living. Later, he moved away and went into business for himself as an industrial electrician. Reddit user: WhitePaintChips

How Many Others Had Bluffed Their Way In?

Not completely on topic, but I used to be a part of university interviews. I would sit in on application interviews with potential future students, and give my opinion after the interview was over. A girl turned up one day who went white as a sheet as soon as she saw us.

It’s not unusual; lots of people go in with all the confidence in the world and then panic when they finally get in the room with us. This one was different, though. We quickly realized she’d used my work in her “portfolio” – I’m a photographer and have an easily searchable website.

Another guy turned up and did exactly the same thing with a fellow photographer’s work. I wondered out loud how many people bluffed their way into university this way…and I was “asked” (aka made) to sit in all the interviews for the next three years until I finished my degree. Reddit user: rhgarton

They Didn’t Speak The Language

I did that a few years back – charmed my way into a fancy job, and it went pretty well. I had no experience in interpreting and translations at all; I was just trilingual from the languages I was exposed to since childhood. I went through my job for a few years without my boss or manager noticing that I had no expertise in the field. None of them actually spoke any of the languages I did.

The process wasn’t pretty, but at least I got the job done. I left the job on my own later and got another interpreting job with another company. I never actually lied; I just worded my interview answers in a way that made my experience with language a lot more “fancy” than it actually was. At least in my mind, anyway. Reddit user: hi2712

I Got The Job On The Spot

When I was a teenager, in the early 1990s, I was into phone “phreaking” (making free phone calls, exploring the phone network, stuff like that). I had no formal knowledge of how phone networks worked, but I loved trying to learn about it. There was no official information on the internet, so I had to rely on electronic bulletin board systems (BBSs) to get all my info. Most of it was either flat out wrong, or very out of date.

Fast forward to college graduation and I’d done some work for the university building data networks, but nothing telecom related. I was put in contact with a startup in Silicon Valley that was doing some cool phone-related stuff. I flew out to interview and, at one point, the hiring manager goes, “So, how much do you actually know about phone networks?”

I wasn’t going to lie, and basically said, “Well, I’m guessing 50% of what I think I know is wrong, and there’s a ton I don’t know, but I’d love to learn as much as I can.” Pretty much made me a job offer on the spot. A little bit of honesty and a lot of charm is all it took. Reddit user: bg-j38

It’s Just A Title

I don’t know, but it sure seems like all the people who I’ve trained at my company in the last several years have been “managers” at their last job. Many companies use the term “manager” in their titles for sales positions, because customers feel better about being served by a “manager” than they do an “associate.”

It’s total bull, but why not use it on a resume? It also helps if you’re in a position that requires negotiating skills, as customers are more inclined to engage in negotiations with people they feel have the authority to negotiate. The art of manipulation, and all that.

In the end, though, both the customer and the employee end up getting manipulated. It’s how lots of companies get away with not giving their employees their appropriate raises. They give them a fancy title to keep them happy. Reddit user: Anne_O_Nimity

You Gotta Have Moxy

I became an analyst for a government agency’s retail department just because I was good with Excel. I then became a Client Services Level-1 operator for them and, within three months, was the most knowledgeable operator there. I never lied or told them I had experience that I didn’t. In fact, I specifically told them I’d never worked as an analyst, but was willing to try.

Now, they’ve moved me into quality assurance to test everything from website formatting to critical level back-end stuff. I have no degree and everything I know I’ve learned as I went. Sometimes, especially in this case, it pays to be charming and personable. It also taught me that a lot of companies use job requirements – like years of experience and education – as a “firewall” to weed out people with no Moxy, or whatever they said. Reddit user: jordan1794

No Laughing Matter

I was in a blue collar job for 10+ years, and I’d had enough. I decided that I wanted to get into finance, like my friends who wore cool suits, and did seemingly nothing but make loads of money. I approached one of their managers about getting in on this, even if it was doing coffee runs and making photocopies, but I was laughed out the door.

I had zero qualifications and had barely set foot inside an office before. I spent a lot of time learning about this industry, so I’d at least have a shred of credibility come interview time. Yeah, they gave me an interview even though they’d laughed at me. Presumably so the hiring manager could laugh at me, too. But I kept bugging this manager guy until he caved, and got me an entry level position.

I busted my butt and made a lot of friends internally. I got a promotion in six months to a tricky sales position. I kept pushing hard and dominated that role, demonstrating that a degree or MBA wasn`t crucial to the role. After a year, I set my sights much higher and managed to land an interview for a role significantly further up the ladder. I landed that job, too. Reddit user: terribleone01

I Just Talked About What I’d Cook

Sous chef. Seriously, you should see the rubbish I make in my kitchen at home. You’d never think a schmuck like me could make honey-glazed sesame baked chicken with bok choy, mushrooms, and water chestnuts in black bean sauce. Before I had this job I’d never cooked professionally a day in my life and, honestly, never really thought about it.

The only reason I got that job was because my brother was a waiter at this restaurant, and got me an interview to work in the kitchen. I didn’t even know it was a sous chef spot. Never had to lie, just talked about how much I liked to cook and the kinds of dishes I’d make if I ran my own kitchen. They never even asked me if I’d run a line before… Reddit user: indiblue825

I’m Just Impatient

I’m somehow the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of a multi-billion-dollar company, and I still feel like I have no place being there or doing what I do. I’m a glorified software developer and engineer who got tired of management being lazy, and just started doing their jobs. Now people seem to listen to what I have to say, even though half of it’s filler, while I try to think about what I actually want to say.

A lot of my progress has been due to getting impatient waiting on others, and just doing it myself. I can’t stand it when I see that someone is actually goofing off instead of just taking their time to get something right. I’m not an expert in dozens of fields – I’m just impatient; somehow people view that as being an expert. Reddit user: [redacted]

No Proper Credentials

My wife was 20 years old – and about two months into her freshman year of a psychology degree –when she applied for a behavioral technician job. The job required a bachelor’s degree, which she didn’t have. Obviously. But, what she does have is a persuasive tongue. When she got the ($25/hr) position, she dropped out of college with plans to go back eventually.

She’s now been in the field for nine years, being promoted along the way, and even having her techniques praised and borrowed by professionals that have been in the field for decades. She truly is an expert at what she does, and it all came from her own brand of common sense, personal studying, high school psychology, and on-the-spot self-training/experience.

That being said, she still wishes she’d gone on and finished her degree. In fact, she plans to start going back very soon. Regardless of whether or not her superiors think so, it’s still somewhat unethical to be in that position without the proper credentials. Reddit user: [redacted]

They Believed In Me

I bluffed my way into a buyer position at a fairly large aerospace company. I was interviewing for a shipping clerk job, dropped a few names of companies I have dealt with and a few programs I have experienced, along with knowledge of operations involved with making airplane parts.

Within five months of being hired, my salary was nearly doubled, and I wound up landing the job as a buyer. All I had was a GED, no college degree, and now I get paid to spend the company’s money. All in all, a pretty good deal for just having a GED.

I never lied about anything, either. I made it very clear that I had no experience at the actual job, but either they didn’t believe me or simply believed that I had what it took to get the job done. Turns out they were right.  Reddit user: [redacted]

Not As Smooth As I Thought

Software development – I know the basics of programming, and was in school at the time. I exaggerated my knowledge, and the interview was good. They didn’t have much knowledge about it either, so that helped. It went smoothly. There were a lot of resources on the internet and a few friends were really helpful, so I got better and better.

Three years later and I’m now the “Director of Development,” and I manage a team of five people –  it’s awesome. But, not too long ago the guy that originally hired me came over to my department not only to congratulate me, but also to tell me that he was so impressed with how far I’d come, “You know, considering you had no idea what you were doing when you first started.” I guess I wasn’t as smooth as I thought. Reddit user: DarckJack

I Hadn’t Used Excel Since High School

While it’s not super high-level, my job is above entry-level. I told my interviewers that I knew how to make pivot tables, and really manipulate Excel almost professionally. Truth be told, I saw a video on how to make pivot tables the night before the interview. I’d also barely ever used Excel after I got out of high school. I still got the job, and a promotion six months later.

The department stopped using Excel in favor of another program a week after I started. How convenient. Fortunately, they were aware that this other program was new, and actually brought in a trainer to teach us how to use it. It’s also a good thing that I’m actually good with that kind of stuff. Otherwise someone would already have caught on. Not that it’d matter, anyway. Reddit user: Swordsx

I’m Self Taught

CEO. Not even kidding. Two years ago, I decided to quit my job and start my own company. I’d never sold anything in my life before. My company did about a half a million in sales last year. I have no idea what I’m doing, and it’s terrifying. I guess I didn’t really charm my way into that job, though. I technically created it myself.

But, calling myself a CEO makes people treat me a whole lot differently. Apparently I’m fancy, or something. And, yeah, I’m totally terrified, but learning on the job is way better than going to school forever to “learn” how to be a CEO. Practical experience over a piece of paper any day, I always say. I’m still afraid someone’s going to call me out one day… Reddit user: xxspiralxx

Turned The Charm Up To 11

Executive VP at a healthcare insurance company. You’ll have to pad your resume, but won’t actually need any skills aside from some ability to learn industry lingo, and micromanage a bit. If you become my new boss after reading this, there’s a good chance I’ll never be able to tell the difference from my current EVP at all. I swear he just sits around drinking coffee.

Also, when I say “padding” your resume, I really just mean using the right wording to really sell your skills. That’s how I got the job I have right now, which is VP. I’d never been a VP before, but I read the job description and figured, “I can do this.” So, I spruced up my resume, turned the charm up to 11, and walked into that interview like I owned the place. It worked. Reddit user: mbonar101

Some People Just Get It

I basically charmed my way into being a search engine tech for Google as a contractor. Zero experience outside of messing with HTML in high school. I worked the job for a year and even got set up for a huge promotion. The only reason I lost the job is because my fiancé left me, and the resulting depression killed my motivation.

I got a job that required a degree without a single day in college for the subject. The fact of the matter is that they don’t care about your education; they care if you can understand the entry test, and provide results. Knowledge and ability trumps perceived education every day. Granted, there will be plenty of places that don’t agree, but at least some of the giants out there still get it. Reddit user: [redacted]

It’s Not Always Who You Know

I was able to charm my way into a high-paying desk job at a mortgage company. I had zero experience closing loans, but their job listing said, “Will train the right person,” so I made it my mission to be the right person. I showed up a little early, I was dressed well, spoke well, and carried a fancy, faux leather folder with some questions I’d written down.

I got three promotions within my first year. None of them were what you’d call amazing, but it was still progress up the ladder. What was really impressive to me was that I’d managed to make it that far in a company that was known for hiring friends and even family of current employees. It was difficult to get in there if you didn’t know someone. Sometimes it’s not who you know, but how well you know yourself. Reddit user: IGuessURRight

He Landed A Job At NASA

My grandpa actually did this. He was applying for an opening at NASA as the head film and audio engineer. He never went to school for it, and didn’t know the first thing about the cameras or any of the techie equipment. Said he bluffed a few answers to their questions and then told them he wasn’t experienced with their “new cameras.”

But, if they were to leave him alone in the room for a week to figure them out, he’d be able to run them like he’d always been doing it. Long story short, he got the job. He studied them for a week on site, and was their head guy for almost 20 years. He says he always felt a little bad about not being totally straight with them, but he learned a great skill and they got a great employee. Reddit user: josephsmalls

Let’s See How This Goes

Got my boyfriend hired at a rock gym inside a much larger gym. He had zero experience climbing and was afraid of heights, but I prepped him with some jargon to throw in. The boss was in charge of “kids’ activities” and sat at a desk all day and didn’t really know much about the rock climbing gym. He got hired and quietly learned on the job.

He turned out to be one of her favorite employees, so I guess win all around. Turns out the actual manager of the entire gym totally knew he had no clue how to run a rock climbing wall but was so impressed with how fast he learned that he decided to just “see how it all played out.” It played out so well that my boyfriend is now the manager of his department. Reddit user: MissArizona

She Knows What She’s Talking About

Game Expert. My city was hosting a huge Game/Anime/Cosplay convention of sorts, and the venue was run by a couple of older guys that had no idea what’s what, so they looked for ‘Local Game Experts’ to help with the con. I don’t think they even asked how old I was when I went into the interview. Adorable old dudes, but totally clueless. My guess is they just liked reading Sci-fi novels.

That was my first job ever. I just had to mention a few games I played and they thought, “Woah, she knows what she’s talking about.” All I did really was help people click X on the PS4 controller. The convention didn’t take off and never happened again. Not because of me, obviously, but because those guys had no idea how to run a convention. Reddit user: [redacted]

SEO “Expert”

I was at a coffee shop and overheard a guy talking about how he needed to improve SEO on his site. He wanted to increase traffic to his website and was thinking about dropping whomever he was working with. I guess they weren’t showing results. Apparently, it’s a pretty common thing. People hire an SEO “expert” who turns out to not know anything.

I quickly read some SEO basics about how to overcome some of the problems he was having. I approached him and said that I’d overheard his conversation and I thought I could help. I convinced him enough for him to have me meet with the rest of his marketing team. I had no portfolio of sites other than an indie app similar to Vine which had 60k followers, and a photography business. I ended up not taking the job on, but it was really tempting. Reddit user: [redacted]

Upholding My End Of The Bargain

I’m currently in this situation right now, and I think they’re starting to notice. Granted I didn’t lie; I was just very aggressive in my job hunting and finally found a company that would take a chance on hiring an outsider for the position, rather than promoting from within.

I can already tell that it significantly hindered my ability to make nice with some of my new coworkers. I was considered by them to be an “outsider.” I got hired into a mid-level management position despite never holding a similar position like that before.

They knew that going in and decided to roll the dice based on my tenure in the industry, work history, references, and education. I’m one week in and I’m already very overwhelmed, and I think they can tell. My first day back next week I’m going to sit down with my direct supervisor and lay it all out.

Hopefully, if I ask how I can improve – and what kind of support they’ll be willing to offer – they’ll keep me. Yeah, they took the chance on hiring me into this situation, but I still feel the need to uphold my end of the deal, and exceed their already high expectations. Reddit user: [redacted]

It’s Like A Shark Tank

Project management at a tech company. It’s literally a game of buzzword bingo and aggressive networking. From my experience with them, it’s a job where you throw some CS terminology around, along with the software service of the week, and set arbitrary deadlines with arbitrary goals. I also have to make sure I’m always complaining about deadlines and have a paper trail for management.

Just like a lot of other people, I never lied so much as charmed my way in. They knew I had no experience, and decided to give me a shot. I know I’ll get better, but right now it’s really stressful. Fortunately, unlike a lot of others, they’re happy to train me. I just really hate having to play the game to fit in. It’s like a shark tank in there. Reddit user: arades

She Was Meant To Do It

My sister charmed her way to the top of IT at one of the country’s fastest growing IT companies. She knew nothing about IT at first. She’d call me and my friend almost daily to ask how to fix absolutely everything. She’s actually learned everything by asking questions, and is now one of their best IT people. I really don’t think they suspect she bluffed her way in.

Happily for her, she’s got a real knack for it. If she didn’t, I think someone might have noticed that she had no clue what she was doing. Normally, I wouldn’t encourage someone to bluff or charm their way into a job, but she really, really felt like it was a job she needed to have, and it turns out that it really was meant for her all along. Reddit user: bryan00b

Learn How To Get Results

Social media manager. Be young, have a couple pretty good connections, know how to take good – like Instagram good – pictures, and maybe know how to enter data into a spreadsheet to show progress. I did it straight out of high school for a couple years, until I found a better paying job. Pretty much the most fun, laidback job I’ve ever had.

The market is pretty saturated now. Everyone’s a “social media manager,” but there aren’t a lot of good ones out there. I did a lot of research, learned the jargon, figured out how to get clients the results, and just made it seem like I owned the room every time I on-boarded a new client. To be honest, if I’d just been able to self-justify raising my rates, I’d probably still be doing it. Impostor syndrome is the worst. Reddit user: jozeefcp

Apply Anyway

Stock Trader. No joke, I basically exaggerated my way into it several years ago when a hedge fund job required at least three years of experience. At the time, I had no practical experience, despite having a Master’s in Finance. The closest I’d come was making a few trades in my own brokerage account, although I made it sound like I was a serious trader the whole time.

Thanks to the market being good from 2010 on, they never questioned my credentials. Plus, I was making them money, so there was no reason for them to complain. I’ve moved on from that job to other, better paying jobs since then. If I learned one thing, it’s this: don’t let experience or degree requirements keep you from applying for a job you know you can do. Reddit user: ragnarkar

They Knew I’d Never Done It Before

I briefly held a management position at a place that repaired big semis and trailers. All I did all day was check people into the shop, and make sure the other office workers were doing their jobs. I did have 13 years management experience in fast food, but that’s a totally different thing. Held the job for two months before a family crisis caused me to leave.

They were sad to see me go. I never lied or misled them to get the job, either. They knew I’d only worked in fast food, but they took a chance on me. Hopefully the fact that I had to leave so suddenly doesn’t keep them from rolling the dice on someone else in the future. Who knows, though, maybe when I’ve got my family situation settled, I can reapply. Reddit user: sbashe5

Honesty Helps

It’s not particularly high level, but it certainly is a vaguely relevant story about how I‘ve landed jobs I have no qualifications for. I was doing my A-levels (UK equivalent of the SATs) and was applying to study medicine at university. I also needed a weekend job to make sure I had enough money to live. One came up for a weekend/evening care assistant at a local nursing home.

It looked ideal, but it asked for a particular qualification in health and social care (or equivalent experience) that I just didn’t have. I submitted an application anyway, and in my cover letter said something along the lines of, “Look, I know I’ve never done any care work before, but I want to be a doctor, and really want experience in a medical/caring profession.”

I got the job and they just attached me to one of the senior care assistants for a week to learn what I needed. I’m at medical school now, but have used that initial job to bounce my way through part-time care jobs that require more qualifications by saying, “I know I don’t have X but I’m keen to learn if you give me a chance,” and have had loads of training paid for by employers. Charm is great, but always be honest. Reddit user: jefferlewpew

Humor Goes A Long Way

I’m that person. I always liked cooking, but never had any experience in baking. I ended up bluffing my way into a baking supply company, and becoming their “Bakery and Pastry Chef Demonstrator.” Essentially, I was responsible for putting on demonstrations of products for clients. All of whom are 4+ star hotels.

I’m basically learning as I go from chefs at the Ritz, etc. It’s been three years and I still haven’t been fired, despite the fact that I still burn whatever I bake. There’s no way they don’t know that I had no experience. To be fair, however, I do my absolute best to build a real relationship with customers, and always turn on the charm for my demos.

But the truth is, self-deprecating humor goes a long way when you go and end up burning a cake. “Listen, yeah, I burned this cake, but look how cleanly it comes out of the pan. Just imagine how this can make your bakes better…” Reddit user: [redacted]

I Charmed My Way Into Two Careers

Stock trader, and then teacher. I landed both jobs with no experience whatsoever – charmed myself into both jobs. I talked a major company into giving us 250k to trade; we ended up losing it, though, so stock trading didn’t last very long. I admitted that I was clearly no good at it, and resigned so they didn’t have to fire me. “I appreciate the opportunity, though.”

I’m way better at teaching, so that’s gone pretty well so far. I teach art to little kids, so it’s not like it really requires a lot of skill – other than patience. Plus, I’m actually qualified to work with children. I’ve always been in daycare and nurseries, etc. It helps, too, that my boss knows I’ve never taught before. If it hadn’t been for the week trial, I doubt they’d have given me a shot. Reddit user: bussy1847

Only He Really Knows

I had a friend exaggerate on his resume. That landed him a very cushy $100+k/year pharmaceutical rep position. He never actually finished his bachelor’s, though. That’s what he’d exaggerated about. He didn’t outright say he had a BA, just that he’d gone to school for “x, y, and z.” He told me he did clarify that he hadn’t finished the degree.

Once hired, he used their tuition reimbursement program to complete his bachelors. I’m pretty sure they thought he was getting his Master’s because it got him a large salary increase. Imagine what they’ll pay him when he goes for his Master’s and they think he’s getting a PhD. Again, he swears there’s no way they don’t know, but only he really knows. Reddit user: Rotoscope8

Maybe One Day I’ll Be CEO

I used my experience growing herbs in my backyard when I was in my teens to become a project manager of an organic farm when I was thirty. In my defense, I did a ton of research and was really good at growing things. I made sure to never lie, always telling the truth – but in a charming way that might have made it sound like I was just downplaying my expertise.

I’ve been doing that for a long time now and, if they ever suspected, they’re not saying anything. I keep getting promoted. I joke that, one day, I might just end up CEO. But, if that ever happens, I’m going to have to come clean and be like, “Look, we all know that I only got this job because I’m charming, right?” Reddit user: cledali

At Least The Pipes Never Froze

A friend of mine once told me a story about when he went to work in Antarctica as a researcher. His flight down there only had one other guy on it, and he was going to the same base. When they arrived, after the plane had left, this other guy looked at him and said, “I’m the plumber for this base. I’ve honestly not got a clue what I’m doing…”

Turns out he lied a bit in his interview. He said they never really had an issue with the guys’ work. He’d only been a plumber’s apprentice and was tired of being treated like an errand boy, never being allowed to run jobs on his own. Clearly, the obvious next step was to run away to the South Pole, I guess. Seems logical. At least the pipes never froze over. Reddit user: yapo_viejo

I’m Headed To The Top

I was made general manager of a reasonably large event rentals company less than a year after starting as a laborer. I got the promotion because I’m good with people, and good at turning on the charm. They had me running several stores and depots which involved tons of case-by-case logistics. I was even running meetings with clients to get them locked into multi-million dollar contracts.

Really, I don’t know how having actual experience for the job could have helped any more than learning how that particular company functioned as I went. So far, it’s all worked out great and I’m still working there with no plans to leave. My only plans are to see how far learning on the job can take me. Hopefully all the way to the top. Reddit user: weasel_mullet1