By CityTownInfo.com Staff
May 18, 2009
Workers with years of valuable experience and education are often being refused jobs because they are regarded as overqualified, while experienced employees who accept positions on lower professional levels must frequently deal with frustration.
Denver, Colorado's CBS4 [from an article originally located at http://cbs4denver.com/seenon/jobs.overqualified.resume.2.1002315.html] points out that experienced job applicants face the added stress of convincing potential employers that they are not planning to fill a position temporarily until they find a more lucrative job.
"First you have to help the employer understand what overqualified doesn't mean," explained Dr. Karen Dowd, executive director of graduate career services at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business. "It doesn't mean that you are going to leave the job. You've got to let them know that you want to stay, you're dedicated, you've got something that you can offer them."
Dowd noted that experienced job-seekers should consider omitting details on resumes that would peg them as overqualified, such as possessing an MBA. "What you do," said Dowd, "is you say, 'related experience' or 'related education.'"
Similarly, WBOC 16 in Delaware notes that older workers searching for jobs should consider condensing their job titles. Melissa Joseph, president of Delmarva Temporary Staffing, suggested that someone who held a position as vice president can change the wording to "administrative professional."
"You have to be honest in your resume, certainly," she said, "but you don't need to have that big title up there."
In a related story, CareerBuilder.com reports that employees who have accepted jobs on lower professional levels often experience frustration and boredom.
"Although feedback from my managers has been positive, I do not feel proud of my work here," said Rachel P., who accepted a position as an administrative assistant after her position in Web content production was about to be eliminated. "I thrive on innovation and mastering new material, core strengths that are not utilized in my current role. I'm mindful of the fact that I am not adding to my portfolio or skill list and I struggle with how to compensate for this."
Nevertheless, Beth Ross, a career coach, advised people taking on lower-paying jobs to view the experience as an opportunity. "Stay open to the possibility of developing and expanding a brand-new career," she said. "Take this opportunity seriously, for you never know where it is going to go."
