Man Calls His Older Sister ‘Delusional’ After Learning How She Negotiated A Salary Of $105K At A New Job She Wasn’t Qualified For
“Use this as a sign to demand what you want. Not ask, but politely and respectfully demand.”
Mavo / Shutterstock.com Content creator Daniel Alexander took to TikTok to share the inspiring story of his sister and her quest for her dream job.
“Is anyone else’s sister just a force of [expletive] nature?" Alexander asked. "For the longest time, I thought she was just delusional, but it turns out she’s just correct.” Whether it’s applying to be the CFO of Tesla with a psychology degree or searching LinkedIn for six-figure postings, he said his sister simply “asks for what she wants” — and surprisingly, it’s opened up doors he could never imagine were possible.
Alexander said his sister accepted a $105K job offer after 7 months of unemployment, despite being entirely ‘unqualified’ for the role.
“A job posting could say ‘been to the moon,’ and there would be two applicants,” Alexander jokingly said. “It would be my sister and Buzz Aldrin.” While most laid-off employees find a new job between two and six months after their termination, his sister was rapidly approaching eight months of unemployment — “I had seven months of being the not ‘screwed up’ sibling.”
For the longest time, he considered her unemployment situation a healthy mix of her impossibly high job standards and the current state of the job market — until a recent conversation with her changed his mind.
“[She told me] that she got a position as Chief of Staff with a startup company… and it paid $100K a year,” he said.
“But, we aren’t done because 24 hours later, the company rescinded their offer because they want someone who’s actually living on the East Coast.” Empathizing with her situation — especially after receiving the job offer, which felt like a miracle in itself — he quickly realized he’d underestimated his sister’s “delusion” in simply accepting their refusal.
He said his sister boldly applied for jobs of all kinds despite not having practical experience, and her confidence paid off.
“She said she was going to fix it,” he explained, of his sister’s rescinded job offer. “She then schedules a follow-up meeting with the hiring manager, who then re-offers her at $5K more than the original salary. I am in awe. I don’t know what kind of moon sign that is, but I’m pretty sure it’s the one that sociopaths have because what the [expletive]?!"
While the whole situation seemed like a win of chance, he couldn’t help but admire his sister’s confidence in applying for roles outside of her qualifications.
It’s a reminder for many job seekers, especially those in marginalized communities, that sometimes you have to force yourself into the right rooms.
Ilona Kozhevnikova / Shutterstock.com
Employment studies actually reveal that job applicants often turn away certain opportunities before even applying — whether because of a lack of confidence or because they don’t meet the job “requirements.” Women frequently only apply for jobs that they meet 100% of the criteria for, while their male counterparts often apply with just 60% of job description skills.
Trends indicate modern companies are hiring on the basis of attitude over skill, meaning many women and marginalized applicants are counting themselves out before having given their dream job applications a chance. Whether it’s applying for high-paying executive positions or simply connecting with influential people, forcing yourself out of your comfort zone is essential in climbing the professional ladder in today's market.
It might take a bit of false confidence or even “delusion,” as Alexander noted, but it might just land you the perfect job. It’s a small price to pay for the perfect job.
Especially in today’s job market, having a skill isn’t everything — ‘Demand what you want.’
“Just take this as a sign to demand what you want,” Alexander enthusiastically stated, arguing that if his sister can bag such an incredible job offer with practically no relevant skills, anything is possible. “Not ask, but respectfully and politely demand.”
Sometimes, all you need is a little push to do the things that scare you — whether it’s introducing yourself to an executive, making a connection with an accomplished professor, meeting a new friend, or applying for a job you think you’re unqualified for. Creators like Maureen The Marketing Coach on TikTok explained they used their New Year’s Resolution as a means to build their confidence.
After applying for a marketing job, she was vastly underqualified for and accepting an offer — alongside achieving a waitlist position on Harvard’s graduate school list — her pursuit of rejection quickly turned into a new mindset. She was capable of achieving the things she would’ve never considered for herself.
It’s this kind of mindset shift that breaks glass ceilings, challenges our inner critiques, and opens up doors for the best of opportunities. Nobody else is going to call you into these rooms if you don’t force your way in.
Be delusional, crazy, or “unrealistic” — whatever it is they call people actively pursuing their wildest dreams. In the end, those are the people who craft lives they actually enjoy living.
Please, don't become a doctor without professional training, but outside of that — the world is your oyster!
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.