Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited

Return to career-consulting-limited.com
Managing
People
Managing Your Career
CV Examples
Coaching
Cover Letter Examples
Pre-Employment Tests


How to Overcome Being Overqualified


Have you ever gone through the interview process, felt confident that you'd performed extremely well, and then heard these dreadful words:  "I'm sorry, but we feel you're overqualified for this position."

Arrggh!!

When I was told that after an interview, several thoughts went through my frustration-fogged mind... What kind of crazy excuse is that for not hiring me?  So what if I'm 'overqualified' -- don't employers always want to hire the person with the best qualifications? If I'm willing to take this job, overqualified or not, why is that a problem? This isn't fair! What's the real reason they don't want to hire me? 

When interviewers say you are "overqualified," here's what they are concerned about:

 (1)  You'll be bored in this position;
 (2)  You won't be satisfied with the salary they're offering;
 (3)  You'll leave as soon as you get a better opportunity;
 (4)  They'll have to go through the time-consuming and expensive process of hiring and training someone all over again.

They may or may not make you feel better about being "overqualified," but you must admit those are legitimate concerns.

If you get the "overqualified" excuse once, you'll be wary about getting it again. So if you apply for other jobs that may be at a lower level than warranted by your background, skills, education and experience, you may be tempted to "dumb down" your resume and omit things like college degrees.  But lying about your background is not the way to go.

Here's a better strategy:  address it head-on.  Be the first one to raise the "overqualified" issue with a potential employer. If you bring it up yourself, you can discuss it openly and convince the interviewer that it
won't be a problem. 

They key -- as with every job interview issue -- is to anticipate and prepare.  Before you go to the interview,think about what you'll say and how you will convince them that they should hire you, even if you are "overqualified." 

After explaining how you will be a great asset for their company, tell them why you are applying for a lower-level position.  Do not say, "I can't find anything else and I really need a job."  Though that may be the case, this approach is a little too honest and will reinforce their fear that you will leave
at the first opportunity.

Say something like, "You can tell that I've worked at a higher level before, but this position is exactly what I'm looking for."  Then, depending on the job and your circumstances, explain why.  For example: 

  *  "I've always wanted to work for your company [or in this industry], and I'm willing to take a lower-level position to get that opportunity."

  *  "It will allow me to use my skills and expand my experience in a new field."

  *  "I'm looking for something a little less stressful, with fewer responsibilities, so I can spend more time with my family."

  *  "This position provides the stability and long-term growth potential I'm looking for."

  *  "The salary is not my top priority. I'd have no problem with earning less than I've earned in the past."

Be very enthusiastic about the job. Explain how you can meet their needs now and in the future as the company grows.  And most important of all, convince them that you will not quit as soon as something better comes along. 

If you are convinced that this job would be worth it, you might even try this: offer to sign an agreement stating that you will stay on the job for a minimum of 12 months.  Whether the hiring manager actually takes you up on that offer or not, it will definitely make a very positive impression!

If you anticipate the "overqualified" issue and address it up front, it will not be a drawback to your success!

Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

Careers  University of Northern Colorado








Careers  City of Phoenix (.gov)



Careers  City of Ontario, California (.gov)





Careers at FEMA  FEMA.gov


Careers | Home  USDA (.gov)




Employment Opportunities  Alabama Department of Public Health (.gov)

Careers and Jobs at CRS  Catholic Relief Services

Careers  UC Santa Cruz


Careers  Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Working for ICE  ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov)






Careers at USCIS  USCIS (.gov)

Employment Opportunities | Game Commission  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov)

Explore Store Careers  Target Corporation

Store Hourly Job Areas  Target Corporation

Corporate Career Job Areas  Target Corporation


Work for Us  National Park Service (.gov)

Work With Us  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (.gov)


Job Listings  Fayette County Public Schools

Careers at TWU  Texas Woman's University



Work at the U.S. Department of Energy  Department of Energy (.gov)

Recruitment & Classification  Sonoma County (.gov)

Employment | Department of Corrections  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov)


Water Services Careers  City of Phoenix (.gov)

IOM career gateways  International Organization for Migration


Career Opportunities  Gilead Sciences




Careers  BASF

Jobs  City of Rochester (.gov)

Careers at the IOC  Olympics.com


Jobs at Liberty University  Liberty University






Our Hiring Process  Target Corporation


Co-op & Career Design  Kettering University

Careers  Calgary Board of Education

Career Services  Cornerstone University


Interview Guide and Tips  Target Corporation

MPA Employment Data  USC Price School


Current opportunities  Turner & Townsend

Recorded Video Interviews  Target Corporation


K9 Recruitment Bonuses  United States Secret Service (.gov)

Careers  West Virginia Department of Education


Job Opportunities  Bellevue School District


Careers at Union  Union College

Careers at Sinai Health  Sinai Health

WORK AT LVMH  LVMH


Programs and Internships  Goldman Sachs

Employment Opportunities  Unity Health Toronto

Work with us  JPMorganChase

Careers  City of Norfolk (.gov)


Careers  Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services

Work for the City of St. Louis  City of St. Louis, MO (.gov)

Students and graduates  JPMorganChase


Careers and skills  JPMorganChase


Need More Information?
Site Home | Site Map | Links | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
© Career Consulting Limited.com 2011

tumblr visit counter