The fear they seek becomes their own
The Qualified are haunted and hunted by the overqualified syndrome. One recruiter even went so far as to say she would not hire someone who she believes is ‘over-qualified’ for the job. But has that recruiter examined the reason the so-called over-qualified applicant is searching? It could be for a career change. It could be to start a family and the person chooses to take a step back. It could also be an empty nester with a desire to simply slow down.
Give the Peeps a Chance
Here’s where it becomes necessary for the well-experienced candidate to use strategies to convince recruiters that you have no intention to come in to wreak havoc. Your desire is to join forces and work hard for the organization and/or department’s benefit.
Be warned Recruiter, one day you may be get there and then you will understand…when you’re misunderstood.
4 Strategies to Overcome
In her Wall Street Journal article the overqualified trap can hit you at any time, Sue Shellenbarger shared several strategies to combat the syndrome. Here I share my top 4 favs:
- Explain upfront why you’re applying for a position that seems beneath you
- Be consistent in explaining your reasons for applying throughout all interviews for the job
- Line up references who will vouch for your commitment
- Network with contacts who also know insiders at the target company
As a HR practitioner myself, I tend to be open to diverse applicants and our society certainly expects it. However, not all organization’s search process is without idiosyncrasies. So if you are an experienced job searcher as The power of Resilience when things go wrong in this depiction, the strategies listed before will help.
If you are on the hunt and find that there’s something that works for you, do share, we would love to hear.
Cheers!
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