Question - I have heard this referenced many times in a recent post would appreciate everyone’s perspective: what is over qualified vs.

4 Comments

1. Tami L CannizzaroApril 1,2024 at 7:26PM UTC

   To me, an example of "overqualified" would be a candidate who has an advanced degree (i.e. MBA) + years of experience + a higher title, such as Director or VP who applies for a lower-level position where the company asks for a bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of experience. The company may consider that candidate as "over qualified". The challenge with this line of thinking is companies overlook some great candidates who are serious about taking a role that is perceived to be "beneath" them. These candidates may be pivoting to a different field, or may be in a different stage of life and would rather be an individual contributor rather than a director/leader. Or may simply be interested in the company/industry and are willing to do whatever it takes to get their foot in the door.

2. AnonymousApril 1,2024 at 9:58PM UTC

   To me: CPA applying for junior accountant

3. AnonymousApril 1,2024 at 11:12PM UTC

   I'm about to hire someone who is overqualified for the position. She is an internal candidate who I know and we had several very frank discussions about what I could and could not do for her.

   My advice would be to very directly address the "mismatch" in your application materials (e.g., cover letter) instead of pretending it's not an issue. It is a concern - the first thought is you can't find anything else and are willing to slum it until you find something better. It's also very uncomfortable from the employer side to make an offer that's much lower than their current/recent salary. Having a direct conversation about all of the issues will help if you get an interview.

   Common mistakes I see: overqualified candidates are often not careful about curating their resumes. They may not even attempt to edit their job descriptions to highlight transferable/relevant skills because their main duties were so much more advanced (at least in their opinions) that OF COURSE they can do the "lesser" tasks needed for the position. They might not bother to fill out all the fields in the application system or bother with a cover letter, relying on their impressive resume to make their case. During the interviews they focus on the angles that got them their previous roles without thinking through what is or isn't applicable to the job they're applying for now. Then they think the reason they were turned down is because they were overqualified instead of that they were arrogant and disrespectful and I can't see them getting along with the rest of my team.

   My current candidate really put in the effort to acknowledge all of the potential issues while making it clear that this is not a temporary filler, but a genuine interest in moving in a different direction. It helps that my team already knew she was friendly and easy to work with.

4. AnonymousApril 2,2024 at 1:07AM UTC

   Over-qualified: Having 20 years experience when they are asking for 2-3 years. Having a doctorate when they are asking for an HS diploma. Currently making six figures, when the JD lists the pay at $35-40K.

   Under-qualified: reverse the previous explanations.

   If you are over-qualified, be very specific about understanding and accepting the role (including salary) offered.

   If you are under-qualified, give specific examples of how quickly you can meet the required qualifications.

   Be aware that being over-qualified is much easier to overcome than being under-qualified, primarily because of the ATS systems and recruiters who do not fully understand what deficiencies can be easily overcome by some continuing education.