Are You Overqualified? 3 Reasons You Aren’t Getting the Job! And What You Can Do About It!
When one thinks about qualifications, most people evaluate whether or not their experience makes them a viable candidate for the position. However, have you ever considered that you might be overqualified?! In theory, it seems like a good thing, but in actuality, being marked as overqualified can deter employers from extending you a formal offer. Read below to learn 3 reasons why being overqualified scares employers and what you can do about it!
What’s the Catch?!
Often when employers believe that you are overqualified, they are thinking to themselves, “What’s the catch?”And since this is an inner thought, they often are left to find the answers for themselves, and unfortunately, their resolutions tend not to be in your favor.
Employers seek candidates who intend to stay within a company for a certain amount of time. When a candidate interviews for a position that seems to be behind their career trajectory, hiring managers wonder if it is only a pit stop. Considering the time and resources required to implement a recruitment and hiring plan, employers seek candidates who are in for the long haul.
On a more personal note, employers are also wary of overqualified candidates due to an assumed sense of entitlement or arrogance. Depending on the career and role you are transitioning from, this vacant role might require a candidate to complete entry-level tasks or assignments. While applicants should understand the job description before applying, employers often question applicants' willingness to do any task assignedconsidering their tenure or experience. Considering the effort to convince a tenured candidate to complete a menial task, an employer might air on the side of caution and decide not to move forward.
Lastly, employers are often looking for “an out” if they consider a candidate to be overqualified because they are fearful that they cannot afford to hire you. We understand that every vacant position has a predetermined range within the budget that an employer can offer a candidate. However, upon learning more about your work experience or education, employers might realize that they are not in a position to provide you with a competitive offer compared to other companies within the industry.
Ultimately, when employers deem you overqualified, similar to personal relationships, it has more to do with them than it does with you. Nonetheless, read below to learn how you can counteract an employer's sabotage so that you can land the job that you want.
How Are You Marketing Yourself?
I'm not just saying this because it's my job, but really, it all starts with your resume. How are you representing your skills and experience, which ultimately markets yourself in the job market? These are the questions that dictate where you should start!
Many people spend thousands of hours and money on gaining additional credentials to propel their career forward. While this is often impressive, it might be considered too much for some roles.
Compare your resume to a targeted job description while adopting a critical lens to ensure that you only include relevant experiences related to the job. Your first goal should be to eliminate any work experience that is either outdated (beyond the past 10 years) or unrelated. For example, if I am applying for a content curation role, I would not include the time I worked as a mechanic. While I do not want to have a gap in employment on my resume, I want to ensure that hiring managers spend time on my resume and seeing my relevant experience. Including irrelevant work experience might confuse hiring managers and make them question your intentions. The same is valid for advanced educational degrees.
Depending on the type of position that you are applying for, you must question if listing your advanced degree can help or hurt you. Omitting your continued education on your resume might be a strategic decision for you if the field is generally composed of persons with master's degrees or lower. Making this decision is not misrepresenting yourself, as it is common practice to ensure that you are tailoring your resume to each position. If I have recently completed my Ph.D., I might not include this information on my bartending or hostess application. I want to counteract misconceptions that I am too good to work such jobs. I also understand the average person would expect me to be interested in a different line of work. When applying for vacant positions, I do not want employers to question my intentions in applying; I want them to invite me in for an interview. However, if you're going to include all of your education (GOOD FOR YOU!), you should utilize your cover letter to explain your why.
Submitting a cover letter with your resume in an application is always gold when you have a story to tell! Similarly, to explaining an employment gap or how your skillset relates to a new field, you should utilize your cover letter to sell your reason for applying, despite possibly being overqualified. This is your opportunity to answer all of their unspoken questions, addressing the elephant in the room. When writing, you must be clear why you want to work in a particular position, especially if it is behind your current job's trajectory. It would help if you also used the opportunity to speak to your willingness and excitement to learn new strategies and be coached by others to develop new skillsets.
Like everything else that we say, it is all about intentionality—communicating your why clearly will show that your decision to apply to any position is within your plan for success!
Diana Williams, Resume Tailor
