Apply Anyway

Kai Dupé • November 23, 2021

Don't Let a Job Description Deter You From Applying

Just the other day I was speaking with one of the young people that I mentor about applying for an open position as a software developer.  After sending him a link to the job posting, we had a quick zoom call to discuss the opportunity.  During the discussion, he shared that he did not intend to apply for the position.  When I asked him why, he said that after reading the description for the position, he did not feel that he possessed ALL of the qualifications necessary to apply.  I told him to apply anyway.  Allow me to explain.


I can’t tell you how many jobs I have had during my 30 year career as a software developer where I worked with folks who had neither the education nor the experience to hold the positions for which they were being paid.  And when I say this I am not referring to the recent phenomenon of some big tech companies who have very recently decided to relax their degree requirements.  I have had this experience throughout my career. 


Don’t take my word for it.  Pick 5 people that you know who work for one of the big tech companies.  Make a list of these 5 people.  Next look up their profiles on LinkedIn.  I will bet you that 3 of the 5 are working in a position in tech right now that does not match up with their education and experience recorded in their profile.  It may leave you with the question, how did they ever get the opportunity to break into tech. 


I have done this many times.  The person has a degree in literature.  They have no experience in tech.  In fact, all of the LinkedIn experience is in something not even remotely related to technology such as biology or English literature but their current position is software development manager.  They have never written  a line of code in their lives!  How is this possible?  Someone at some point gave them an opportunity.


And someone will give you an opportunity as well.  You may not feel that you are qualified.  You may not feel that you have the experience or the education.  Neither did they.  Do yourself a favor and apply anyway.



By Dr. Kai Dupe September 18, 2026
A mentor gives you advice. A sponsor creates opportunities.
By Dr. Kai Dupe August 20, 2026
Representation alone will not solve the persistent racial disparities in computing.
By Dr. Kai Dupe July 28, 2026
The truth is that most software applications exist to manage information.
By Dr. Kai Dupe July 1, 2026
Artificial intelligence has become the newest member of nearly every software development team.
By Dr. Kai Dupe June 17, 2026
The true promise of computing is not found in the machines we build, but in the human potential we unlock when knowledge becomes accessible to everyone.
By Dr. Kai Dupe June 3, 2026
One of the reasons I value the MCT program so highly is that it represents more than technical knowledge.
By Dr. Kai Dupe May 22, 2026
Software engineering is not simply coding.
By Dr. Kai Dupe May 15, 2026
Companies often promote the idea that technical skill alone determines success.
By Dr. Kai Dupe May 3, 2026
Hackathons also strengthen teamwork and communication skills.
By Dr. Kai Dupe April 22, 2026
Stepping onto the campus of Morehouse College this past weekend for Admitted Students Day was more than a visit—it was a moment of reflection. As I watched young Black men walk with purpose across the yard, I found myself asking a simple but profound question: What would it have been like for me to study computer science here? My journey into computing was shaped in environments where I was often the only Black man in the room. That reality brings with it an unspoken weight—the need to prove you belong, the awareness of being watched, and sometimes, the quiet isolation that comes with underrepresentation. Standing at Morehouse, I realized that this burden is not a given. It is a condition of the environment. At Morehouse, the environment is different by design. Here, Black men are not anomalies—they are the standard. I imagined what it would feel like to learn algorithms, data structures, and software development in a space where my identity was not questioned but affirmed. Where excellence is expected, not in spite of who you are, but because of it. As a computer science professor, I understand the academic rigor required to succeed in this field. There is no shortcut through recursion, no bypass around debugging, no substitute for disciplined problem-solving. But what struck me during my visit is how much context matters. When students are free from the psychological burden of proving they belong, they can redirect that energy toward mastering the material. They can collaborate more openly, ask questions more freely, and take intellectual risks without fear. I also thought about legacy. At Morehouse, students walk the same grounds as Martin Luther King Jr.. That kind of history does something to a person. It raises the bar—not just academically, but personally. It invites students to see their education not just as a pathway to a career, but as preparation for impact. Leaving campus, I felt inspired—but also reflective. I cannot rewrite my journey, but I can appreciate what spaces like Morehouse offer the next generation. For a Black male pursuing computer science, it is more than a degree. It is an opportunity to develop skill, confidence, and identity in alignment. And that combination is powerful.