This has happened to me, when jobswere scarce
and I needed one.
I hope that it does not happen to you:
What to do when you’re told you’re
overqualified for a job
Sometimes having all the experience—and
then some—can make it harder to land
the position you want.
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/overqualified-for-job-081417
Kate Ashford, Monster contributor
Overqualified? Focus your interest on
the job or company itself.
Being told you’re overqualified for a
job can feel like someone telling you
you’re too awesome to date. Come again?
You’ve got the experience of multiple
jobs and years of workplace know-how
under your belt—how can that possibly
be an impediment to getting a job?
“This shouldn’t be a barrier [to
employment], but often is,” says Cheryl
Santiago.
Hiring managers might figure you’re
using this job opportunity as a
temporary gig until a more senior
position opens up elsewhere, or that
you expect to earn a salary that’s
commensurate with your experience.
But just because a hiring manager thinks
you look too good on paper doesn’t mean
you’re out of the running.
Overcome your overqualification with
these tactics:
Don’t tiptoe around it
In your cover letter, address your
experience mismatch outright. “Say you
know you have certain skills or tenure
that are above and beyond what the
position calls for, but that you are
looking for an additional type of
challenge or opportunity,” says
Alexandra Levit.
Not addressing the elephant in the room
is a mistake, Levit says. “You aren’t
making clear why the job in question is
actually a good fit at this point in
your life,” she says, “and all the
hiring manager can think is, ‘It
doesn’t make sense that this person is
applying.’”
Focus on your interest in the job or
company itself.
Employers will be more
likely to take a chance on you if you
talk about why you’re passionate about
the work rather than the fact that the
job requires less travel or offers a
shorter commute.
Emphasize your longevity
“The false assumption with
overqualified candidates is that they
will only take this job while they
continue to search for the ‘right
job,’” says Donna Shannon.
You’ll put everyone’s mind at ease if you
stress that you’re in it for the long haul.
Again, use your cover letter or email
introduction to explain why you want
this exact job, and be upfront with the
hiring manager during the interview
that you understand this may be a
concern—but that it’s one they need not
worry about.
Be flexible on salary
One of the hurdles of bringing so much
knowledge to the table is that
interviewers expect you to want a
commensurate paycheck.
In most cases,
they won’t augment the salary just
because you have some extra know-how,
so be prepared to take a pay cut if you
want a job you could have taken several
years ago.
“If the company asks about salary
requirements, make sure to mention that
you are flexible if the requested
salary is less than what you made
previously,” says Joseph Vijay Ingam.
“Never make it seem that
the position is beneath you.”
To be continued…..
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