“Overqualified”: Unfit for the Job or THE Value-Added Candidate?

I’m hearing the phrase “They say I’m overqualified” from a number of my job-seeking clients in my career transition/outplacement practice. I’d like to address this issue from the perspectives of the potential employer and the job seeker.

Employers: “Qualified versus Overqualified”

Employers develop a profile of the “Ideal Candidate” for a job by deciding what characteristics a person possesses to match the needs of the position. These traits can be expressed in skills, knowledge, education, responsibilities and length of experience. Throw in other characteristics such as personality, management style and communication skills, and a profile emerges that prospective employers use to consider the candidates who apply for the job.

The “Overqualified” label comes into play when a candidate appears to have too much of one or more traits: too many years of experience, too much education or a higher level of responsibility. Often these are accompanied by being too highly paid. All these indicate a potential mismatch between the candidate and the job.

An employer may have concerns that the job will not be challenging enough for an “Overqualified” candidate and that they’ll leave it for another position in a short period of time.

Job Seekers: “But I’m More Than Perfect for the Job”

It is the job seeker’s responsibility to communicate a passion for the duties of the job and the high level of satisfaction that is gained by doing a job well. It can be a tough sell for candidates to persuade an employer that they are interested in a reduced level of responsibilities than existed in their previous job and that they won’t bolt to a new one when it becomes available.

This message must be conveyed effectively to encourage an employer to consider the “Overqualified” job seeker, and the best way to achieve that is for the candidate to get an introduction to the recruiters and decision-makers at the company by a network contact.

The power of developing referral sources and receiving introductions to prospective employers is most valuable to the “Overqualified” candidate. Employers should take advantage of such a referral and seriously consider the applicant. After all, an “Overqualified” candidate may provide “More for the money” if their passions and ambitions are a match for the position. How’s that for a value proposition?