Reader Ariana says she keeps getting turned down for roles because employers are convinced she won’t stick around. Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice…
I’ve now been turned down for several jobs because I’m apparently ‘overqualified’. The irritating thing is that I applied for them because I genuinely wanted them.
I’m not secretly expecting a grander title, and I’m quite prepared to earn less than I did before. At this stage of my life, I’d actually welcome something with less pressure.
Employers seem convinced I’ll get bored, demand more money or disappear the moment something better comes along.
Is ‘overqualified’ sometimes just a polite excuse? And how do you convince somebody that you really do want the job?
Ariana, Edinburgh
To be brutally honest, ‘overqualified’ is one of those words employers often use when they don’t quite want to say what is really bothering them.
Sometimes they genuinely think the job will not hold you. You’ve done more, earned more or carried more responsibility before, and they fear you will be bored stiff within six months. Sometimes they suspect you will keep looking and leave as soon as something better comes along.
Sometimes they worry you will expect more money than they can pay. And, yes, occasionally, it is a rather cowardly way of avoiding a conversation about age.
You can’t answer all of that by pretending your experience doesn’t exist. Nor should you hack chunks out of your CV until you look like a smaller version of yourself.
What you can do is make the application believable: Explain why this particular job appeals to you now.
Perhaps you want less travel, have fewer people to manage, a shorter commute, or work you actually enjoy rather than another ‘grand’ title. Be transparent about it.
They may still say no, of course. But at least don’t leave them inventing the reason for themselves.
Top Tip:
If you are applying below your previous level, explain why without sounding apologetic. A clear, ordinary reason will reassure an employer far more than pretending the change needs no explanation.
Spotlight On: ‘Overqualified’
There is a slightly insulting assumption behind some ‘overqualified’ rejections – that anybody who has once had a bigger job must spend every waking hour plotting to get back to one.
People’s lives are often not like that. Some have had enough of managing twenty staff. Some no longer wish to live on trains and motorways. Others would happily earn less in return for seeing their family before bedtime.
The employer may still have a practical concern. Recruiting is expensive, and nobody wants to refill the post three months later. But they should at least listen to the explanation.
If they refuse to believe that priorities can change as people get older then, I regret, there’s probably not much you can do about it…
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .