A friend of mine is in the midst of an epic job hunt. He has identified a decent amount of opportunities but is having trouble closing the deal. Even working with temp agencies and recruiters, he keeps hearing the same tune: “You’re too qualified for this position.”
Too qualified. Take this as an indication of how picky hiring managers are being these days. The guy has a masters in Statistics and a couple years of experience as a Quant with a major credit card company. Even still, he’s having trouble scoring even temporary employment. I’ve heard similar stories from a number of people.
This particular guy pays the bills by pushing carts at the local grocery store: a “survival job” that doesn’t mind the overqualification (just about everybody is overqualified for jobs like these, right?)
There are two landmines that you need to dodge when it comes to experience:
- For employers, overqualification equates to a high likelihood to jump ship when something better comes along. No firm wants to be “settled for.”
- Hiring managers tend to “pidgeon-hole” applicants based on past experience. This guy did statistical modeling for a financial firm. Even though the skill set is nearly identical to a modeling role in any other industry, hiring managers don’t see it that way. To a Pharmaceutical employer, he’s a “finance” guy, not a “stats” guy.
Anticipate these obstacles and address them head-on. Research the job description well and be prepared to draw everyday examples between your former responsibilities and your future ones. On your resume, stress specific skills over specific jobs.
Most important: be prepared to address overqualification in an interview. You will need to convince the interviewer why:
- You’re interested in this specific position and why its a logical step forward in your career
- You’re looking for long-term opportunities, not short-term fixes
- You know and understand the firm’s culture and are sure that you will fit right in despite your experience elsewhere
Anyone else out there have any tips?
May 21st, 2009 at 3:30 pm
i had this come up in an interview for a private equity job. the position was basically entry-level, but i had 3 years of experience in consulting. i overcame the hurdle up front by stating that i hoped to eventually work as an “operator in residence” for a private equity investor. they ate it up.
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:10 am
That’s one hell of a layoff beard the burger boy is sporting!
May 27th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I have a prepared statement that I bring in about this exact topic. It’s important to not seem like you’re back-peddling as soon as they bring this up. Confidence closes.