“Overqualified for the position”: what to do in this case?
As a professional, your can be disappointed to receive a message saying that ” we are sorry to inform you that you have not been selected for this position”. It is not all the time that recruiters are kind enough to send such a message to candidates. Rarely does this happen when you have the chance to find yourself on the shortlist. There are still few organizations or recrutiers who can tell you the reasons why your application was not successful.
In most cases, you think there would have been stronger and more skilled candidates than you. But if they come to inform you that you are overqualified, there is enough to bare!
Our prestigious partner “Idealist” published this week an article on the topic that has caught our attention. The Title: “What to Do if You’re Overqualified for a Job“. We borrow it for our Kaleta users, while thanking Idealist for their excellent work.
What to Do if You’re “Overqualified” for a Job
There are few things more frustrating than being turned down for a position you want because you’re overqualified. Not only did your perfect resume not land you the job—it may have been your undoing!
The sting of rejection is never fun. But being told you’re “overqualified” can still offer a better understanding of how hiring managers see your application, as well as guide your priorities for future applications.
The designation of “overqualified” isn’t always so cut-and-dry, though. We’ve broken down a few common scenarios to help you better understand what hiring managers really mean when they use the term—and what (if anything) you can do to convince them you’re still a good fit for the role.
1. What they really mean: “We worry that you may get bored.”
If a job description states that a position is entry-level, then someone with a master’s degree and five years of experience will almost certainly be labeled as overqualified. If you notice the hiring manager bringing up this kind of mismatch in the interview, they may worry that you won’t find the work very interesting or challenging.
What you can do: In this case, you should probably take the employer at their word. While it may be tempting to apply for an entry-level position to get your foot in the door at a respected organization, you’ll likely be wasting your time. Hiring managers are trying to find someone who will want to grow in a position, and stick around long enough to make all the onboarding and training worth it for the team. So unless you’re making a major career shift that requires a completely different skill set (e.g. changing from a communications job to a statistical analysis role), you should stick to applying for positions that align with your experience level.
2. What they really mean: “You’re too expensive for us.”
Discussing salary can be particularly tricky in the social-impact field, where tight budgets are often further restricted by grant stipulations or spending limits. The organization you’ve applied to might not have much flexibility for salary negotiations, even if you’re a perfect fit. If you’re switching from the private sector to the nonprofit sector, a history of high salaries may serve to intimidate hiring managers.
What you can do: We’d never recommend that you sell yourself short when it comes to salary negotiations. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and you should be compensated accordingly! But when applying to a new position, it’s always advisable do your research on salary survey sites to make sure you know what to expect.
If getting your dream job requires you to take a pay cut, first consider whether it’s worth it—and then adjust your salary requirements accordingly. Especially if the organization offers good benefits (like subsidies for education, extra vacation time, or a good retirement plan), you may be able to negotiate on more than just take-home pay.
When you talk with a recruiter, make it clear that you have some room to negotiate. If they ask you about your salary requirements, you can say:
“I expect to earn between [$XX,XXX] and [$XX,XXX], but I’ve heard that you offer a great benefits package—I’d like to talk about salary in more detail once I have a clearer understanding of the benefits you offer.”
3. What they really mean: “We don’t think you’ll like being managed.”
Perhaps you’re trying to make a move from managing a division at a small organization to a non-management position at a much larger one. If a potential employer sees “manager” in your title when you’re applying for an associate position, they may fear that you won’t take well to sitting lower on the proverbial organizational ladder.
What you can do: You know you’re not making a vertical move in terms of job title, so make that clear in your cover letter. You may write:
“I’m excited by the versatility that working with a larger team at [ORGANIZATION] would provide.”
If you move on to the interview stage, ask questions about the division structure. Be sure to emphasize that you’re looking forward to working within a team—not at the top of it.
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Have you ever been told you’re “overqualified” for a position? How did you handle it? Let us know in the comments below.
Source of the article: https://idealistcareers.org/
