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The original was posted on /r/sysadmin by /u/SuchCommunication140 on 2026-03-27 18:18:28+00:00.

I’m trying to understand how people move up into better roles when they don’t fully match the job description.

For context, I’m currently working as a Desktop Engineer, but my day-to-day involves a lot more than just basic support — things like Azure AD, Intune, M365 admin, device deployments, and being involved in rollout projects.

I’ve been looking at roles like IT Project Engineer / Infrastructure Engineer, and I’d say I match maybe 70–80% of what they’re asking for. There are always a few areas I haven’t had as much hands-on experience in (usually things like networking or specific platforms).

So my question is:

Do people just apply for these roles anyway and learn the rest on the job?

Or do you wait until you tick basically every box before going for it?

I don’t want to undersell myself and stay stuck, but I also don’t want to walk into something I’m not ready for.

Would be good to hear how others have made that jump — especially in IT/MSP environments.