'You're overqualified for the job'

Question

Many a times, a candidate gets rejected and the feedback they receive says 'You're overqualified for the job.' The problem is that this form of rejection has risen a lot and has hit millenials & gen x the hardest. A person who's spent a fortune on their education by taking loans can especially feel betrayed by these lines. But why is this on rise? Is it because the fragile system of corporate power gets threatened when it comes to have subordinate with more educational qualifications? Or could it be that an entire system of politics does not want workers to get well educated for obvious reasons? What are your thoughts about the matter?

Mimi Bishop · Answer

HI Nimisha, as a coach who works with Gen X ladies (and millennials too!) I hear this a lot. Ageism is alive and it is kept alive for many different reasons.

People are rejected based on  over qualification for a range of reasons -- from outward ageism to budget impact to poor decision making by the hiring managers.

In some cases, it is impossible to get around. The culture is built on the value of. young talent. I think it's an oversight --- but there is little that can be done.

We've seen our clients have success when they do a few things:

1. Own their experience both professional and life -- Gen Xer are a flexible group, learning how to adapt to tech, we've dealt with several recessions and changing workforce plus we have the emotion intelligence fortitude.

2. Be willing to be flexible -- this may mean a different title, different pay range, open-mindedness that this may be a stepping stone.

3. Show how your value adds to the company. Resumes and LinkedIn profiles should clearly illustrate how your experience can help an organization reach objectives.

Jody Laflen · Answer

“Overqualified “ is just a legal HR term that is in place to avoid lawsuits when a company doesn’t want to pay a new hire any more than necessary and which then also allows for ageism, classism, racism and sexism. It shouldn’t be allowed as a legal reason to “disqualify” a candidate.

Sandi Heller · Answer

Thank you so much for posting this, Nimisha. Sometimes I think I’m the only one who sees this. I’m a 56-year-old woman with an MBA. As soon as I took my masters off my resume, my keyword search emails on Indeed.com blew up. I have heard the “you’re over qualified” several times. And I’ve also listened to hiring managers sifting through resumes indicate they don’t want masters degreed people as they will expect the higher end of the salary range. I have interviewed with women through my temp agency who clearly were intimidated by my tech knowledge and background and trashed me on the follow up as an excuse not to hire me. The guy I work for got downright agitated when I asked for more responsibility, reminding  him of my degree.  Another former GM fired me for not being a young guy with a bachelors (like him) despite a glowing review and co-worker support.
It’s not about whether you bring value to a company, it’s the psychological makeup of the person in charge.

Ruth Exilus · Answer

I have a feeling this will come up as I continue on with my job searching.  I'm in my early 30's, recently graduated with a master's degree and still, it's discouraging and frustrating.

Corrinne Connolly · Answer

Such a painful rejection to get. Framing the conversation up front with why you want this job and your circumstances can help mitigate if you are actually 'overqualified' and they are worried you will vacate the position rapidly.

Crystal Rhineberger · Answer

I always felt this was a brush off and a way of saying 
You aren’t trained the way we prefer

Annetta Moses · Answer

Ofter positions are scoped to have a certain amount of skills and experience for a level of compensation. Sometimes an over qualified candidate will accept a position to be employed.  As soon as another position becomes available at the appropriate level,  the person leaves the other job. A company invested in the over qualified candidate and potential in a short amount of time, the need to invest in finding and training another person. 
For people who are going to school,  I believe they should understand the potential job market for their area of study. I am aware of students with STEM degrees who are hired at an appropriate level while others with degrees in fields that are not in demand having challenges getting a position appropriate to their skills and education.  I believe it is important to stay current with develop skills that are in demand.

Dhizzy · Answer

Speaking for myself, when I say someone is over-qualified, I mean just that; they aren't likely to stay with the position - or even possibly with the company - long enough for my department (who is paying the tab) to benefit from the HUGE first-year expense of hiring and training them; it's a matter of return on investment. Turnover is expensive and hurts team morale.

Brandi Hinkle · Answer

It’s not that deep or complicated, often it’s just sugar coated ageism, plain and simple.

ILHAM ALAM · Answer

Honestly, these are just excuses that are said for a variety of reasons. Maybe, they really didn’t like the look of someone’s face during an interview, and you can’t really say that. So you say “overqualified” instead. There’s also ageism at play here too. In addition, the thinking goes that if you get an employee who’s more qualified than the job, they’ll likely leave within a year once they get the job that they really want.

"You're overqualified for the job"

You're invited.

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