How to get hired (with no qualifications)

This is a tough one to write. A characteristic or property of my career that I'm not proud of, maybe even a bit ashamed of if I'm honest, but no, I do not have a qualification. When I have to fill out a form that says "select the highest level of education", my answer is High School and it stings a little every time.

I was always really academic in the sense that I did really well at school and found solace in being the first in the grade, nailing a maths test or even, at the age of 7, being the best reader in the class. (Yes, I'll admit, I was the kid who enjoyed getting extra homework. In fact, I asked for it).

So how is that kid writing a piece on getting hired without a qualification? Well, I continued to work hard to get the opportunities I wanted. I got bursaries to fund my schooling career and got an incredible bursary to study Medicine at the University of Cape Town. Life was going according to plan and all working out how I thought I wanted it to. I quickly realised Medicine wasn't for me - much to the dismay of those around me. I lost the "there'll finally be a doctor in the family" grace and praise. What I did discover was that Marketing is what I wanted. I knew that I someday wanted to be part of the reason that someone chose a Coca-Cola over a Pepsi or Apple over Android or be part of the campaign that everyone had heard about because it was relatable, effective, punchy and memorable. I dropped out of Medicine.

The next step was to get into Business Science Marketing at UCT and soak up all the knowledge I needed to be a successful marketer, and start my path to being the Head of Marketing at a recognisable organisation or team lead at global agency. I was able to change my degree but I was unable to convince my bursary to take another chance on me, backed by financial figures, costs and passion, I still got a hard no. I tried to do it on my own but tuition fees were more than I could manage. As we all know, life goes on and expenses don't stop so it was time to create a CV/Resume and start job hunting.

What do you put on a CV when your biggest achievement is Dux at high school?

1. You learn. Anything and everything you can. I grabbed any reputable, free course I could find that would be valuable to an employer - I think I did every free Hubspot course that had a certification.
2. You work. I turned waitressing jobs into an opportunity to develop people skills. My stints as a promo girl was the beginning of my sales training.
3. You network. I attended masterclasses and meet-ups. From entrepreneurial meet-ups like Future Females and Heavy Chef events to academic chats about topics I found interesting. Being in a room full of ideas and people aspiring to be something is priceless. I collected lots of business cards.
4. You use LinkedIn. LinkedIn was probably my greatest tool. I connected with anyone I met at those events and kept an eye on marketing trends, local business trends and followed people who I'd aspire to be one day. I even went as far as reaching out to people. I met with someone who spoke at an event I attended. He ran one of the most successful PR firms in Europe and was now based in Cape Town. I simply told him I'd heard his talk, told him of my situation and expressed that I'd love to meet for a cup of coffee to pick his brain about where to head to next. He kindly agreed to meet with me and gave me sage advice about job hunting and interacting with people. I applied what he's shared with me moving forward.

My biggest fear was that without a degree no one would even look past my CV. I always thought that my career would be stifled. I soon realised that I just needed one shot. One opportunity to prove that I am capable and where I am not capable I can learn. I was fortunate to be given an opportunity at a company that hired more for attitude and resilience than whether or not your CV said "graduate". Even getting this opportunity wasn't easy. The interview process was gruelling and I was initially rejected. It was only after I followed up for feedback that I was offered a more junior position that they'd just created. (Pro tip: Always ask for feedback! Even if a change of heart isn't the outcome, you'll get information that'll only benefit you the next time around).

The most important lessons that I've learnt when it comes to job hunting and career building is that you have to believe you've got what it takes. That if the person who was afforded endless opportunities can make it, so can the person who wasn't. That you've got to manifest the future you desire (as corny as that sounds). You've also got to be open to opportunity. It doesn't always come knocking, sometimes you've got to chase it, hunt it down and make it yours but it's out there. Especially in the world we live in currently, attitude, personality and drive tend to have a lot more weight. I recently just hired a new person to join my team and this is what I looked for.

For those looking for jobs or opportunities or even looking to make a change. It only happens when you're actively working on it. A bit of advice I was given was to approach my career as I would any other problem or marketing campaign - with a strategy.

Why not develop your own strategy for success?

I'm still worried that as I progress that some day I will be prevented from doing something or be dismissed because I don't have a degree but more than that, I need to do it. I need to do it for myself. I will one day soon be a graduate - not according to the timeline of my peers, but I will do it.

If you're reading this and there's that one thing you wish you had done or have been putting off, here's your nudge today to just do it. The job you've been waiting to apply for, the article you've always wanted to write, the promotion you've been gearing up to ask for. Go do it. You can only get one of two answers. A "no" leaves you no worse off than where you are now and well if it's a yes, you open the gateway to possibility.