Ask HN: Applying for jobs in unrelated specialisation?

2 points by TheElectricCity 8y ago ↗ HN

I'm currently 5 years into an enterprise web services role, and have been looking for the chance to move over into iOS application development. I work mostly with SOAP/HTTP & XML/JMS services, with some recent REST/JSON experience and a background in C# SQL-backed development.

A position has come up in a related agency looking for an 'experienced iOS developer'. I don't have any formal training, or finished personal projects to show, but have been learning Swift/iOS Development for the past couple of years through books and online courses, and am confident in my ability to pick up the rest on the job, if I were to get the position.

My question is: Have you been successful switching specialisations into a related field without meeting all the stated requirements of the job listing? What are the best ways to communicate your eagerness for the new role while also showing you've got practical skills that will translate?

1 comment

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androidrobo 8y ago ↗

In such a situation, job interviewers won’t be placing a premium on a candidate’s educational qualifications. Instead, they’ll be taking a closer look at the candidate’s non-academic attributes, such as drive and ambition, initiative and the ability to be a team player, to name but a few.