It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you get rejected for a job you really wanted and that only get’s worse when the reason they give is that you’re overqualified…So can you really be overqualified for a role. Keep reading below for some reasons why you may get given this label.
Concern about not paying you fairly
What can seem an extremely disheartening event can actually be for the right reasons. Your interviewers may have loved you in interview but have genuine concerns about paying you fairly on the basis of your skill set. Quite often, interviewers can look at an individuals worth and decide that they just don’t have the budget to pay you fairly.
Can’t keep you long enough
The recruitment and training process for any role can be a timely and expensive one so the last thing that any employer wants is to devote all their energy into a promising new candidate, only to have them leave shortly after starting. This is a common concern for many employers so be mindful of this and explain in interview why you have longevity and this is the perfect long-term role for you.
Basic tasks are beneath you
In previous roles you may have delegated some of the types of tasks that this new job requires of you. If there is any chance that you may see your time as too valuable to do some of the more basic tasks aligned with the role – then your overqualified.
Concerned you’ll get bored
If employers feel that you might find the role unchallenging then you could find yourself being labelled overqualified. The last thing an employer wants is their new employee being unsatisfied in their role which could ultimately bring the morale of the team down too.
Younger management
If your potential manager is younger than you, there may be concerns over how you’ll respond to their authority in the new role. If they have any doubts, then you could be deemed overqualified.
Overcoming the label
If you’ve been labelled overqualified when searching for a new job, it was most likely that it wasn’t the right fit for you. A good employer will have vetted the candidate with the help of a recruitment agent before you walk through the door allowing the key concerns above to be eliminated. If you feel that this is a label you could still come up against, combat by addressing the obvious in interview but don’t spend too much time on this. Instead explain your motives for wanting the job and why they’d be lucky to have you as their new addition.