Reverse the Curse When You are Overqualified

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With frustration in her voice, Mary shared her dwindling possibilities after losing her job, "there is no safety net or choice. You know that job at the local Starbucks with benefits? Don't even think about it."

What Mary meant is you are overqualified for the role. They will never hire you, even if your passion is to become a barista.

She tried. Burnt out, yet yearning to do something different, she relished the idea of a role interacting with people, giving them something they wanted. She wondered, "Was a transition role a bad thing or even possible?"

With an engineering degree, it was difficult to choose a role that deviated from an assumed career path. Her story was being written by the gatekeepers of her options, the recruiters and hiring managers. She was not the author.?

Here's the problem. Her story and intentions were not acceptable in the realm of career path considerations. When an employee seeks a role that seems below their grade, the hiring manager assumes she will look for another job as soon as the job market opens. Probably true in a tight job market.

The Starbucks barista position became the symbol of all the elusive roles that were inaccessible to her.

Mary did not want to go back to the engineering leadership path she was on. She wanted to be an individual contributor, by taking a right turn, a left turn, or a U-turn, rather than maneuvering up the steady slope of expectations.

In my career agility model, I refer to this as A-B testing your career, which assumes you can move in any direction so you can personally manage your talents and interests.

Her story highlights a deeper problem in your career navigation. Hiring managers assume you should advance in your career.

Here are the consequences of the overqualified label:

Ageism Runs Rampant

The experience-rich age 50+ workers are ruled out for non-management or lesser roles due to salary assumptions, presumed lack of technology skills, or risk aversion. These workers often aspire to move sideways or step back for valid reasons. Yet their age is considered a competitive disadvantage, according to a poll of 10,000 companies (HBR article by Josh Bersin and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic).

Direct-Match Dominates Hiring Process

Individuals with transferable skills who desire a change, regardless of age, face elimination from the applicant pool. Reason? There are many qualified candidates whose career path and skills match the job description. For the employer, the ideal match reduces the friction of hiring and enables a quick start in the role.

Relauncher Choices are Constrained

People who step back for personal commitments, have a gap, or intentionally desire lesser roles in their relaunch are eliminated due to assumptions about their relevance and senior level experience.

Cautionary Tale for Organizations

Avoidance can lead to business stagnation. There are times when the unconventional approach or pursuit of an idea that takes longer than the status quo is essential for growth. The evaluation of what's best for the organization may not come from the perfect job description and skills match.

The less obvious candidate may be your best choice.

Assumptions driven by ageism, goals for perfect matches, and relauncher constraints, leave little room for career progression in the form of a switch.

When the matching game between job seekers and open positions requires clarification or takes more time, the hiring process is less efficient. Decisions based primarily on efficient talent acquisition, however, can suffer from lack of diversity, and constrain innovation.

The talent pool risks becoming more homogeneous in mindset, leaving organizations ill-prepared for competition as the future of work advances.

When employers minimize the options for individuals who follow curiosity, take an intentional break, or add to their experience as they age in the workplace, they discourage personal and professional growth. Growth can be measured on multiple dimensions, not only according to one specific plan.

So, how can experience-rich jobseekers change the course of hiring decisions so they can change lanes without penalty?

3 Strategies for Overcoming the Overqualified Stigma

You want to connect with hiring decision-makers who will appreciate your unexpected path. While you will not be able to change opinions and approaches within all organizations, focus on what you can control. Attract the attention and interest of those who resonate with your unique history and compelling ideas for contribution.

1?? Understand the Employer Hiring Decision Process

Let's review employer points of view. You may not agree with them, yet it has been shown that analyzing another's point of view with empathy will help you establish and nurture better relationships.

Scanning the hashtag #overqualified on LinkedIn, there were a few comments that shed light on the employer point of view. If you understand the employer situation, you will develop job seeker strategies that will counteract the constraints.

Here is what some LinkedIn members had to say:

Assumptions and expectations

"Being told you're overqualified is code for we know you can do better than this, and that you will leave when you find something better. There's a couple of assumptions baked in here. One is that everyone wants to make the maximum amount of money possible at their current level of experience. Another is that everyone wants to do something new and challenging in their next role." —Jasonda Desmond

Balance risk

"It has nothing to do with your ability to do the job. It's a risk assessment. It costs money to find, hire, and onboard an employee. By the time you hit your one-year, you're looking for the next thing that will challenge you. If you're hearing that you're overqualified that's someone telling you to aim higher." —Eric James Stephens, PhD

Bias for the ideal career path match

"I can see the genuine drive and passion for the pivot, but there's always other candidates that are in the career path I'm hiring for and bring a certain level of experience into the role we can build from."?—Ryan Pena

With this information in mind, you can craft marketing materials and a story that address their concerns, while modifying your networking approach with relevant conversations.

2?? Pet the Elephant in the Room

You know what they are thinking. If there is an elephant in the room, pet it (via Catherine Johns). During the interview and in your cover letter, share why you are changing lanes, why you paused, or why your intention is to take a more junior role. Appeal to them in an authentic manner.

You may be older than other candidates searching for a non-management role. Your messaging can reflect "I may not be your typical candidate, yet..." Follow up with concise statements and benefits like:

? Your skillset and attitude are aligned with organizational goals

? You embrace mentorship and reverse-mentorship

? You have specific power and tech skills relevant to the role

? You will make their life easier

Mike, who is in his early seventies, has developed several relationships with recruiters who fill positions with candidates for quality control and test engineering roles on a contract basis. He emphasizes the number of testing environments he has worked in and does not hide his experience.

His energy and enthusiasm for contributing to their success are evident. He also mentions the recent courses he has taken to demonstrate his upskilling efforts in his field.

3??? Counteract with a Relatable Story

?One comment on LinkedIn regarding a potential employer reflected humility and was so simple, yet effective,

"[They] said I was overqualified. To that, I explained I was lacking certain skills and experience required for me to get higher positions. Because of this, I was hired and upskilled. My current supervisors are constantly pulling opportunities for me and asking about my goals."

—Carissa Johnston, MS Ed

Remember Mary? Her story did not end with the disappointment of being rejected for a barista position.

She contacted former employers and established a connection allowing her to step into a marketing partner alliance role. Her background in engineering enabled her to talk the language of the partners, filling a gap in their alliance program. ?

She relied on referrals rather than applying through online job boards. She was thrilled with her individual contributor responsibilities after being hired for the role.

When your status or story does not immediately make sense to someone reading your cover letter or who is interviewing you, fill in the blanks. Discuss the value of your contribution in the context of their needs.

Employer attention perks up when they see how your gap or departure from the typical path will enhance their organization or team. If your gap included being a caregiver, I saw a response that went something like this,

Career gap explanation

"I spent two years caring for my father, sharpening my empathy and compassion skills. The skills developed included a knack for researching and managing a network of essential resources for the best quality of care. I cherished the time spent and have no regrets for making this life-changing decision. My work history in this industry, dedication, and communication skills are highly relevant for this role."

Transform Overqualified to Totally Qualified

Regardless of your role, explaining the rationale for your decisions in the workplace has always been expected. This is required when pitching for your share of budget or changing direction on a project.

So it is with your communication strategy during the job search.

When you are seen as overqualified, it is necessary to make your path logical to a potential employer. You need to be seen as totally qualified so they are at ease with your story. Employers want to know what you did in the context of their needs and their future.

And if you are an older candidate, let the hiring manager know you will have their back and make their life easier.

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