How should you respond to the company who shortlisted your executive resume & took an hour long interview only to declare at the end of the discussion that you are overqualified for the job & not a good fit. You are aware that the organisation is growing & expanding its manpower to meet the growing market demand. There is no doubt why they would not hire professionals with more experience. However, they decided not to take the discussion further with you. What went wrong? What would you have done differently?
Are you really overqualified for the job?
It could be a possibility that you are overqualified for the job! If this is the case, think carefully why you are going ahead with the position. If you have legitimate reasons it should be easily communicated in your resume or to the interviewer when the question comes up. Some of the reasons could be,
- Relocation
- Attaining work/life balance
- Opportunity to work remotely
- Change industry or career
- The position you are applying to is more convenient or offers you an area you specialize in
All these are valid reasons that should not preclude you from applying for a job which in theory makes you overqualified to carry out. The fact is being evasive in your resume is sabotaging your interview which you could have rectified/tackled much before. You may sound oblique in your resume in order to secure an interview, however you must understand that human resource/recruiting managers are equipped to understand the motivation & rationale that go beyond qualification, experience & work history & therefore you should have faith in their judgement.
How to overcome this overqualified syndrome?
Let us talk about a game plan to overcome this stigma & convert it into a winning opportunity. You have to determine what is about you that will benefit the employer. There are equal chances that your detailed workplace experience can benefit or harm your opportunity during the interview. The onus is on you to showcase your key skills relevant to the potential position in hand & how those skills & competencies can benefit the company. Do your homework & learn about the pain points & needs about the company & be prepared to demonstrate how your skills can solve those pain points /help the company achieve their desired goals.
Most companies do not go ahead with candidates having more than desired experience since they think & feel that after sometime they will get bored or lose interest in the position & quit which will make the company restart the time consuming process of hiring someone. If you come across such a scenario, you should make a commitment. You should let them know that you have no plans of quitting should you be successful. In some instances, employers may want you to sign a contract for 15 to 18 months. However, you should sign the contact only when you are sure of committing that time frame. In case you sign such a contract, it removes the employer’s fear of hiring an overqualified person.
Finally, employers are also worried that the salary they would offer may not sound attractive & after some months you may start looking at options. You should be transparent enough to communicate that your previous positions & compensation will not inflate the salary expectations & that you are looking for realistic reflections of the proposed position’s market value & open for negotiation.
Key Takeaways
- You are the best person to analyse the reasons for taking a step down the career ladder. Be honest on your resume and in the interview.
- You should also focus on driving discussion on the concerns the employer may have so that you can overcome their reservations with justifiable reasons.
Are you looking for some career advice, guidance about how to write an executive resume or re-branded Linkedin. As the founder & executive resume coach at Sushant Kumar Ventures, we offer executive resume writing & LinkedIn profile writing services for modern day job seekers. I would be happy to chat to help you meet your career goals; Sign up here.
