5 Steps To Turn 'You're Overqualified' Into 'You're Hired'

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Career Advice •


When you are proud of the steps you took to build a rewarding career, it is discouraging to hear you are overqualified for a position. You may think the job is a great fit, but employers intimidated by your impressive list of accomplishments might assume you cannot find fulfillment in a lesser role. Being overqualified gives you more flexibility when choosing which experiences to highlight, so use tailored resumes to show hiring managers that you are exactly who they need.

1. Focus Your Resume

Hiring managers want to recruit professionals who need minimal training, but they are also reluctant to take a chance when your qualifications rival their own. Revise your resume to present yourself as a perfectly balanced candidate. Research the company and position to find out what skills are most valued. Structure your resume to emphasize how you used each skill instead of featuring your full work history.

Use a cover letter to briefly explain why you don't mind moving down the career ladder. For example, you may want a better work-life balance or prefer working with clients over managing colleagues.

You can also remove high-level jobs and skills unrelated to the position. If this creates large employment gaps, flesh out your work experience section with freelance projects or volunteer positions. Always present truthful information, and remember that employers may spot your higher credentials on online profiles.

2. Introduce Yourself to Employers

As an overqualified candidate, you are prone to being dismissed during the early stages of recruitment. Hiring managers rely on shortcuts to weed out incompatible resumes, and they may eliminate you based on biased judgements about your reasons for applying. One proactive option is to circumvent the traditional hiring process by making a direct introduction before you submit a resume.

Call or write the hiring manager to make a pitch. Highlight your most relevant qualifications and reasons for pursuing the position, and explain why you are interested in the company. Explain your reasons for making a career transition before hiring managers have a chance to object, and make it clear that your main goal is to support the needs of the company.

3. Control the Conversation

If you happen to land an interview, prepare to answer questions about your expectations and employment goals. In some cases, employers might think you expect a higher salary because of your experience or will abandon the position as soon as you get a better offer.

Overcome a hiring manager's reservations by expressing your eagerness to work for the company. Emphasize that you require little or no training, but are also eager to take direction and learn the company's unique strategies. Give a straightforward and concise reason for taking a lower-paying position. For example, explain that you want to get back to doing the hands-on creative work you love or are at a point in your career where you can afford a lower salary.

4. Make a Time Commitment

Show employers that you are committed to becoming a valuable contributor. Offer to work for a trial period, or sign a contract requiring you to stay with the company for at least a year. In both cases, your efforts can convince employers that you are serious about the job and willing to grow with the company.

5. Tap Into Your Network

Whenever possible, target employers who are connected to people you know. Hiring managers are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if they receive glowing reviews from credible professionals who have seen your skills in action. Convey your career goals to the people in your network, and they might mention the reasons for your career transition when speaking to recruiters. When you are shifting to a past role, take on projects related to your target position to show employers that you continuously hone those skills.

Being overqualified for a job is only a weakness if you let employers make up their own minds about your choices and priorities. Control how others perceive you by addressing questions about your career plans and commitment as soon as possible. Market your extensive experience as a benefit to potential employers, and prepare yourself for any objections they may have.

Photo Courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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  • Terry K.
    Terry K. •

    Being overqualified is a two edged sword. Whittling down your resume to meet the "2-3 page" requirement creates a situation where part of your experience for a position may have happened many years ago. On the other hand it may also miss specific buzzwords the "computer programs" are programmed to look for to get the hiring manager to look at you. If you only list job positions and brief descriptions of what you did, they come back and say, where did you specifically get the experience they are asking for. The industry has made it very difficult for those of us very experienced but in the eyes of the industry, overqualified. Some managers become intimidated by someone who does have much more experience than they do. There really isn't a right or wrong way, chalk it up to just plain luck!

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Erin you could do what @Hema suggested and concentrate on one skill that the company values and talk that one up. As for the interview, just try to use a little bit of humility. Probably sounds crazy but you certainly don't want to sound like Donald Trump! The hiring manager already knows that you are overqualified based upon your resume. But you are there because he found something that he liked about your resume. Try to quickly figure out what it is and play that skill up while downplaying others. Many times, when we apply for a position for which we are overqualified, it's because we are at a point in our careers where we aren't planning on being promoted and maybe we just want to coast a bit towards retirement without all of the stress from our current position. Explain that - in your own words of course. Being honest is the best way to proceed.

  • Jacqueline Parks
    Jacqueline Parks •

    I have been thinking a lot lately about problems with being overqualified for positions. Both my partner and I have run into this problem. On one occasion my partner was definitely passed over for a job because of being overqualified. I am 100 percent on board with suggestion number five, tapping into your network. There is no better recommendation than someone who knows you well who is also trusted by the employer. I also recommend controlling the conversation. If you emphasize your desire for the job and your unique qualifications for it enough, you are more likely to be heard. In the end, I think there are sometimes when you are not going to get the position regardless of what you do. If the hiring manager already has decided that any overqualified candidate is a no go, you probably wouldn't be happy there anyways.

  • Erin H.
    Erin H. •

    I like that this article has a "take the bull by the horns" approach. I think it's important to be as transparent as possible in this situation. My only question is, how do you find that fine line between confidence in your abilities and "controlling how others perceive you"? On the one hand, you have to be open about your experience, your intentions and commitment, but in an interview, you don't want to sound like a politician. There has to be some humility. I just wonder how to balance the two?

  • Hema Zahid
    Hema Zahid •

    If I were applying for a position that I’m overqualified for, I would choose one skill and make it the focus of my resume. I would choose a skill the company values and work on convincing the hiring managers that they should disregard everything else and hire me just because of that specific skill.

  • Jay Bowyer
    Jay Bowyer •

    Offering a time commitment can be such an effective way to get a job when the hiring manager feels you're overqualified. Overqualified people tend to lose interest very quickly: many of them then leave their jobs, creating vacancies than have to be filled all over again. If you make a definitive time commitment from the get go, you're much more likely to land yourself a desk in the office.

  • Kellen P.
    Kellen P. •

    I really don't think that hiring managers are reluctant to hire applicants that have the same qualifications as them. That attitude is the mark of an unprofessional hiring manager! I wouldn't revise my resume just because there's a chance you're going to have to deal with a childish hiring manager. I think an applicant should be honest about their credentials.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for the comments. @Catherine I think that the biggest issue is that companies don't want to onboard someone only to have them leave for a better position. It's expensive to make a hire so why hire someone who is definitely overqualified for the position when we can hire someone and train them up our way and have a better chance of retention. @Katharine there are many salary programs that you can use to give you a range that you can offer. www.salary.com is one of them but there are many out there. Always check on these to find out what a viable salary range would be and, if you can, offer that you are willing to negotiate. What if you write in your current salary and it's too high? Will that take you out of the running? Maybe. Also, by using a salary calculator, you will know if you really want to pursue the position. Maybe the salary is not going to be enough to meet your needs. Something to think about.

  • Katharine M.
    Katharine M. •

    What do you recommend if the employer asks upfront what salary you require? Just today, I filled out an online application that demanded a number- so I couldn't write "negotiable" as i try to do. Should I say my last salary but that I'm open to negotiation? Say a number that I think is probably around what the position pays? Something else? Thanks!

  • CATHERINE S.
    CATHERINE S. •

    Why are overqualified job candidates automatically dismissed in the early stages of the hiring process? It it just because they might expect bigger salaries or are more likely to move on to better jobs in the future? Is it recommended that applicants leave some things out of their resume to seem less overqualified?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Lydia I would have to agree. Unless that job for which you are overqualified is the only position available, I think it would be in your best interest to concentrate on a position that fits your background and skills - one that you really want.

  • Lydia K.
    Lydia K. •

    There are a few comments expressing concern that suggestion #2, contacting hiring managers sounds too aggressive. But in my opinion this is not really suggesting anything different than a motivated applicant within the expected range of qualification would do. My question however - is it really worth it to put so much effort into applying for a position if you know you're over qualified? Why not use these strategies to find a job where you have more leverage based on your background and skill level?

  • William Browning
    William Browning •

    If you decide to start over in a completely new career, a temp agency might be a good place to start. Time at a temp agency gets your foot in the door and shows an employer you're willing to work your way up the career ladder in your new chosen field.

  • Shannon Philpott
    Shannon Philpott •

    Tapping into your network is crucial. Even just a chance encounter with professionals in your field can land you an interview and a referral. A candidate who is overqualified has the opportunity to build a brand that does not necessarily have to scare off potential employers. Create a need for your skills by allowing your professional network spread the word.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    Thanks for your comments. Yes it would take a very bold candidate to pull off all of these. You know most of us are not going to apply for a position that we are overqualified for - even out of desperation. And trying to contact the hiring manager to alleviate their fears about your qualifications prior to an interview may be a bit over the top. Most job seekers wouldn't do that, either. You just have to find the way to turn a negative into a positive. Tweak your resume to show how and why you are the best fit for the position. During the interview let them know WHY you applied for a position for which you are overqualified. That's all they want to know anyhow. Their fear, of course, is that they are going to hire you (the process of bringing on a new employee is quite expensive) only to have you quit as soon as something better opens up. The newest concept is offering to sign a contract stating that you won't leave the company for a specified period of time. That's a judgment call, too. What if you sign it and then HATE the position?

  • Lorri Cotton
    Lorri Cotton •

    These are all great suggestions. It would take one very bold candidate to pull all of it off. I agree with the assessment that many hiring managers don't hire "overqualified" persons for reasons of ego. Why would an alpha-dog hire another alpha? So, it does take "assymetric" measures, or unconventional methods, to get the job you really want. Unfortunately, this is the climate of corporate America. They aren't looking for trail-blazing individuals. Just cogs to keep the machine going.

  • Abbey Boyd
    Abbey Boyd •

    I imagine that getting past the initial stages of recruitment can be the hardest part of landing a job you are overqualified for. When a hiring manager browses through resumes and sees one with far greater qualifications than the position requires, you may well be written off. I really like the advice to tweak your resume to deter this. However, I feel that calling or writing the hiring manager to overcome this obstacle might be a bit too aggressive. When the hiring manager sees that you are trying to ease his or her concerns about your qualifications, I feel this may actually raise the concern level. I think this may look a bit desperate. I believe you should simply create a balanced resume, and let your cover letter speak for itself.

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