With the Nations unemployment rate close to 10%, you are wasting your time sending your resume for a job that you are overqualified for. I know what the majority of people think, and that is if they take a step back to a lower level position, it would be a piece of cake to land a job. There is only one problem with that thought and it sounds good, but it’s not good and sound!
If you see a job that you are overqualified for the reason why people will not hire you is because when the market does turn around, they feel that you will leave for a better opportunity. That is why your resume needs to be fine tuned for a particular job you’re interested in.
With the large number of people currently unemployed, you can only imaging how many resumes come into a company from an ad. For years I have told people that ads don’t work well. In this market that’s an understatement. Clients are using us more than ever because of the bombardment of resumes. If a company is hiring, than they are for the most part using search firms, unless they are just filling their database for the future. I wrote about this in a blog titled Wrong Perception at the beginning of the decline. Companies staff today are without question being overworked. They don’t have the time nor the resources to go through all of the applicants resumes that they receive day in day out. And if they are seriously looking to hire staff, then typically time is of the essence.
If you happen to be one of the fortunate ones to have a recruiter represent you, then make sure for your sake that you do not delay the process. The reason why I use those words is because not everyone will command a fee to be hired. It is only a slight few whereby a company will pay a fee to hire someone. Search firms such as JTL Services, Inc. have large networks of top talent.
This is no time to be lazy, or to procrastinate, but a time to be meticulous to detail. And what is up with these reports I keep hearing about the people who just stopped looking for work? How do you stop looking to get paid or to give up making an income? What ever happened to the “never give up” attitude?
Never Give Up!
I’ve heard that I’m overqualified for even a Probation Officer or Victim/Witness Legal Assistant in the DA office. My question is this, don’t potential employers consider the value that I would bring to them?
I have a Paralegal Certificate and worked 9 years in Corporate America. Prior to that I received my BA in Criminal Justice and worked for the local county Public Defender’s Office for over 7 years. Later, I received my Graduate Certificate and MS in Human Services with a specialty in Criminal Justice. I’m trying to return to my passion – “helping the least of these”, but what do I do now? I’ve been searching for qualitative employment since the middle of September. I welcome your thoughts.
Kind regards,
How does one establish that one is over qualified for a job opening?
In my experience, it’s better to submit your resume and be considered than to hold it for fear that you’re overqualified.
Would you agree?
Typically you can tell from the job description and the title of the job. I would also say that 100% of the shots you don’t take you miss, so no one is saying not to send your resume just make sure you tone it down for those positions.
While it makes sense in some regards, this still confuses me. I would think that in some cases it would be perfect to be overqualified. Take for example a game tester, or quality assurance as it’s usually called. If I submit on my resume that I know how to program in C/C++, Java , or whatever language they are using, I would be able to identify the bugs better for programmers than some high school kid off the street. I know this isn’t always what happens, but wouldn’t you agree that in this case it would overall make everyone’s job easier if the applicant was overqualified?
Jonathan,
Perhaps in your example yes, but what I am talking about is someone who has been lets say a Controller of a large corporation and applies for an Accounting role with another corporation. He or she can without a doubt do the role but will most likely be looking for a better opportunity in the near future. Companies do not want to invest in someone who has short term plans. Plus you also need to know that a candidate like this would become bored.
If you’re over-qualified for a role you’re applying for, the problem is one of credibility. The employer is left with a range of concerns, from what you did to lose your last job, through why you can’t get a job at the same level, to how long you’ll stay in the job if they give it to you, to whether you’ll upset the apple cart because you used to manage things a different way.
The only way to address this is to close the credibility gap. Be honest about your skills and experience on your CV, but if you’ve downshifted, use your career goal section to explain where you are now, and what you want now.
If you can’t get work at your old level, use your cover letter to acknowledge this, and make some suggestions about how the employer might make use of your additional skills and experience.
If possible, ask if you can step in to do some pro bono work to keep your hand in. Once you’ve built a relationship, you become less of an unknown quantity.
Don’t avoid this problem, think creatively about it. Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to remove the employer’s discomfort about taking on someone over-qualified.
And don’t be disheartened if you have to drop a grade or two temporarily. The cream always rises.
Heather
“Dumbing down” your resume can get you a job. You have to be willing to lie, even at your interview, if you are determined (and/or desperate) to work. Omitting information and swallowing your pride (in your accomplishments and knowledge/skills) can get you hired, but you will have to keep up the facade for the probationary period at least. Since lying on your application is grounds for dismissal.
What employers fail to realize is that a majority of overqualified workers have strong work ethic and will be loyal to a company that values them. Most are older, experienced…maybe looking to slow down and not be so willing to chase the almighty dollar when the economy starts to recover.
If an applicant is overqualified and will leave the job for a better opportunity and more money when the upturn starts, then why wouldn’t the employer offer more money and a promotion to keep that employee?? It seems to me that a lot of employers (especially big companies) cause their own problems by not placing a high enough value on their employees, (their most important resource).
Except for some very clear examples such as a former CFO of a large organization looking for an Accounting Manager role in a smaller firm, many charges of “over-qualified” come from organizations that want a lot of skill, but don’t want to pay a whole lot for it.
They want people who are talented and educated, but marginally ambitious.
BTW, that’s the clearest sign that they see economic improvement on the horizon, because they don’t want to have to take a chance on someone who will be dissatisfied with the relationship between workload and compensation -OR- job challenge and skills. (More often the former than the latter).
In the information technology realm, you see a lot of organizations asking for people to have Batman or Superman (superhero) skills, but accept Robin (sidekick) pay. This either represents a lack of awareness, or a lack of concern, because I have heard far fewer complaints of over-qualification coming from technology candidates.
Organizations have to understand and appreciate good employee value, and find ways to make proper use of the valuable talents that their employees bring to the table. And, they must find ways to compensate the appropriately.
Those who do will not find themselves with severe talent shortages, nor will they acquire candidates that are willing to lie about their skills and ambitions.
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Providing Competitive Advantage through Effective IT Leadership
I agree with Jeff 100% on this matter. I almost never post an ad because I know I will receive 1 out of 1000 that is actually qualified. For example, if I post an ad for an Entry Level Sales opportunity with 2-5 years experience. Why would a Manager of 20 years apply? If I wanted a Manager I would put an ad for a Manager! So if you need to take a step back to take a step forward. Tone down the resume and give me a real reason of why you would want to go back 15 years to move 1 step forward.
Besides if I submit this type of candidate for an entry level position, I will more than likely not be working on that order any longer and be replaced with someone who listens to what the employer wants.
I am still employed, but thinking it’s time to move on, so I’m still in the exploratory mode of job searching. My skill set (business analysis) is a highly flexible one with a wide range of definitions. Some companies understand the value of it, some do not.
I will sometimes submit my resume for a position that I am over-qualified for, (they may want 3-6 years experience, I have over 10) if it seems like, from the description, that the company “gets” good business analysis. I will be up front in my communication that I realize I am probably over qualified for this position but because of their good practices there may be a good fit between my skills and experience and their company.
These are exploratory contacts, and in this environment, companies have a surfeit of qualified applicants, and not very robust discretionary hiring, but you never know.
My point is that good companies may not hire you for this position, but you may get on their radar for when a more senior position does show up.
Of course the best bet is still through someone you know. But it will be interesting to see if this strategy of exploratory contacts increases in success as the economy picks up.