Advisory Board Daily Briefing: Being told you're overqualified for a new position can be one of the most "perplexing" and frustrating experiences for job applicants, Sue Shellenbarger reports for the Wall Street Journal. The challenge can affect applicants at varying career levels, from recent college graduates to former executives, but there are ways job seekers can overcome the label and land the job they want, Shellenbarger reports.
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The argument put forward in this article is pretty interesting and I could see it being a real problem. I have actually heard the same thing for some of my friends when it comes to their grades and test scores when applying to colleges. I have a friend who goes to Yale that got denied from UConn. UConn denied her in an attempt to keep their acceptance rate low because they figured she probably would not go there. This is similar, in a way, because even though you might be more qualified, you might not get the job. This probably has to do with money reasons as well because those who are more qualified typically get higher salaries. I think that the article offers some good suggestions for people that are dealing with this problem. It is very difficult to enter the job field and it basically says to advocate for yourself and make yourself known.
This is a great look at biases and how they can play into hiring process of companies. Individuals have biases and acknowledging that as a person and knowing that it does have a role in how life is navigated. I believe that employers need to be educated on recognizing biases they have, when they tend to show up and how to manage those biases successfully. The tips given in the article are things that I believe people should do when applying for jobs be it that they are "over qualified." I will say that when applying for jobs, I do not believe in making yourself seem that you are better than the position that you are applying for but neither should it seem like you are begging to be employed. I personally think that you should let each company that you're applying to see the benefit they would be getting by adding you to their company.
This is such a great, high class, issue to have when you're a budding professional trying to get a job. I would re-consider parts of this article because sometimes when an employer thinks you're too qualified for a job, you just might be too qualified for a job. I usually take it as a compliment, this past internship application season I applied to all these tiny summer stocks around the country that were rather back up applications. What ended up happening was that I got interviews in places that were bigger but I didn't even get an email or a call back from any of the tiny theaters but ended up getting the bigger jobs. So I came to the conclusion that any egotistical child would come to, I was obviously over qualified to be in the middle of no where doing theater with non union people. My point being, rather than pouting over being considered over qualified, maybe its just a sign that you are able and should be chasing bigger and better opportunities.
I was interested in reading this article mostly because I once had a three hour skype interview with a production manager for an apprenticeship early in my career only for her to end it with “anyway you’re way too qualified, and I don’t have anything else available for you. I knew that before this interview started. You should consider not applying for internships and apprenticeships and go for real jobs! I believe in you!” and I have never gotten over that absolute waste of time. However I think this article brings up some great strategies to combat this, and I want to really highlight two that I think younger me failed on. First off, I was not consistent in explaining the reason I wanted the job. I thought at the time I was being consistent, but I also wasn’t sure why I wanted that specific job. I just knew summer was coming, it was a company that a lot of my peers and mentors spoke highly of, it looked like a job I was able to do, and I wanted to be there. I wasn’t sure what that job could teach me that I hadn’t already learned. I hadn’t done enough homework. Also, networking, networking, networking. Again, it was a company that many peers and mentors spoke highly of. There was no reason for me not to go straight to one of those people and say “I’m applying to this place. I’m hitting send on the application on this day. Do you know anyone there you could speak to on behalf of me?” I had some of those people as my references, but that’s not the same as asking them to be proactive on your behalf which is where I think I failed.
I think this is a valid issue in the scape of a job interview and any case where you may need to work with others during the course of your job. It is a common thing that once someone stoops below what they’re used to working on, or if they’re “over-qualified” as the article says, said person tends to take things much less strictly than if it were, say a job that’s much more complicated than they’ve done before. Once you’ve done a much more complicated project, you begin to fall into a head space of routine with smaller, simpler projects. This exact occurrence generally causes sloppy work in the worker’s job overall, and it hurts anyone else who may be working on the project. Overqualification is most certainly an issue when it comes to a project because cockiness can overtake a coworker’s ability to put the co- into their work. Ultimately, and especially with large scale productions regarding immense collaboration, effective cooperation with others, focus, and determination in one’s work is what helps to make it good. With someone being overqualified for a job, I can understand how it may compromise their effectiveness, and overall their chances of getting hired.
The concept of being seen as “overqualified” by potential employers is a real one. I know several adults who have decades of experience in their respective fields and degrees from prestigious universities who have been told this in many capacities. What I think some employers do not realise is that, if someone is coming to you looking for a job, they probably need the job. This relates to both older and younger professionals and can really be a form of ageism being perpetrated in the workplace (or, rather, potential workplace). While I do think that, sometimes, people are genuinely overqualified or won’t work well with others due to their background, correlation certainly never is equal to causation. Period. Paragraph. End of sentence. Especially in the world of internships and apprenticeships, “overqualified” is absolute bull. In theatre especially, you need an internship before you can get a job, but you may not be able to get an internship for various reasons, including those listed in the article.
This is just like yield protection, only in the workplace. The main difference, in my opinion, is that people apply to high acceptance colleges as safety colleges in case the more prestigious ones reject them. However, people don't as commonly apply for jobs for the sake of having a safety compared to a more high profile job, they do it for the sake of having a job because they need it. Regardless, this article brings up some very valid points. It is true that some highly qualified applicants can be very pompous about it, and for that, they would do badly with teamwork and compromise. I don't, however, think it's valid for employers to reject applicants for thinking they will leave their positions soon after employment for better jobs. Maybe they will, and the worst-case scenario for the company is they will have to hire a new person, but for the applicant, they may be in-between jobs and are in need of a stable income.
This article seems to be written with businesspeople in mind, but I see direct parallels with the entertainment industry as I read through. Because I’ve never really been qualified enough for like anything, I didn’t even think that someone could not get hired because they’re TOO qualified! It’s really interesting that one of the points that was made is that possible bosses could fear someone too qualified for the job, that they could take over. I see this as job insecurity, and is an unfair reason for not taking somebody for a job. It does frighten me that this exists, though. I have interest in designing for regional and other local theatres, and worry that after going to CMU, they may not take me! But, I’d like to hope that that isn’t the case. I’m glad the article ended with justifying/overcoming being “overqualified”. The ways include justifying your interest in the job and directly linking how the job itself is something you desire, as well as networking with people you know that already work there, as a way in.
This article makes sense when arguing that the prestigious school written on a person's resume may not always reflect their work ethic and flexibility. I wholeheartedly believe that where you go to college does not automatically give you a certain life path, neither a "successful" nor "unsuccessful" one. Also, I understand why managers sometimes vie for the candidate who is a little less experienced because they are more likely to view their job as a learning experience. With that mindset comes humility and determination. However, I can also argue that sometimes you are just too qualified for a job to the point where a manager would feel like they're wasting your talent by hiring you. That happened to my best friend's mom...kind of.
There is a New Orleans based artist named Ashley Longshore (HUGE fan of her paintings. def check her out) who is taking the country by storm. My best friend's mom (who is a literal superstar I can't even begin to describe this woman) applied to be her graphic designer. Ashley not only told her that she was overqualified for that position, but she created a new position for her as well!! And this position is huge!! This is a big deal and I'm low key just using this comment to brag ab my friend's mom but whatever. Cool article all together.
I remember all too well being told I was overqualified for a job. In some cases, I didn’t have enough experience. I often wonder how you get experience for a specific type of job if you have never worked that particular job before that would give you that experience? The school you go to could have a profound impact on your career, so long as you are going to that school for the quality of education and real world opportunities and not just because it is an ivy league school. Whenever I am applying for a job, I ask myself as I am preparing the necessary documents, a couple of “why” questions. Why do I want to work here as opposed to someplace else. Why do I feel qualified for this position? Why do I feel my qualifications are a good fit for this position? I also ask some what questions. What can I bring to the table? What sets me apart? What real life experience have I had that makes me an ideal candidate. The article presents some great feedback to allow people seeking jobs to be more specific about the why’s and what's. I wonder how my life would be different if I had known all of this 20 years ago.
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