By Career Advice

Have you ever gone through the interview process, felt confident that you’d performed extremely well, and then heard these dreadful words: “I’m sorry, but we feel you’re overqualified for this remote job”?

Arrggh! What kind of crazy excuse is that?

You could be thinking, so what if you are ‘overqualified’ – don’t employers always want to hire the person with the best qualifications?

If you’re willing to take the job, overqualified or not, why is it a problem?

When interviewers say you’re “overqualified” for a position, here’s what they’re concerned about:

(1) You’ll be bored in this position;
(2) You won’t be satisfied with the salary they’re offering;
(3) You’ll leave as soon as you get a better opportunity;
(4) They’ll have to go through the time-consuming and expensive process of hiring and training someone all over again.

These things may or may not make you feel better about being “overqualified,” but you have to admit they are legitimate concerns.

If you get the “overqualified” excuse once, you’ll be wary about getting it again. So if you apply for other remote jobs that may be at a lower level than warranted by your background, skills, education and experience, you may be tempted to “dumb down” your resume and omit things like college degrees. But lying about your background is not the way to go.

Here’s a better strategy… address it head-on.

Be the first one to raise the “overqualified” issue with a potential employer. If you bring it up yourself, you can discuss it openly and convince the interviewer that it won’t be a problem.

The key — as with every job interview issue — is to anticipate and prepare!

So before you go to the interview, think about what you’ll say and how you will convince the employer that they should hire you, even if you are “overqualified.”

After explaining how you’ll be a great asset for their company, tell them why you’re applying for a lower-level position.

Don’t say, “I can’t find anything else and I really need a job.” Even though that may be the case, this approach is a little too honest and will reinforce their fear that you’ll leave at the first opportunity.

Say something like, “You can tell that I’ve worked at a higher level before, but this position is exactly what I’m looking for.” Then, depending on the job and your circumstances, explain why. For example:

  • “I’ve always wanted to work for your company [or in this industry], and I’m willing to take a lower-level position to get that opportunity.”
  • “It will allow me to use my skills and expand my experience in a new field.”
  • “I’m looking for something a little less stressful, with fewer responsibilities, so I can spend more time with my family.”
  • “This position provides the stability and long-term growth potential I’m looking for.”
  • “The salary is not my top priority. I’d have no problem with earning less than I’ve earned in the past.”

Be very enthusiastic about the job. Explain how you can meet their needs now and in the future as the company grows.

And most important of all, convince them that you’ll not quit as soon as something better comes along.

If you’re convinced that this job would be worth it, you might even try this: offer to sign an agreement stating that you will stay on the job for a minimum of 12 months. Whether the hiring manager actually takes you up on that offer or not, it will definitely make a very positive impression!

If you anticipate the “overqualified” issue and address it up front, it shouldn’t be a drawback to your success. Good luck!

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

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