Well then, who DOES hire "overqualified" people?

[Mindcrime]

When my fiance had gotten desperate trying to find work after being downsized, and she was reduced to applying for 'service' jobs, she actually had an interviewer tell her flat out, "You're too smart to work here." He basically told her that as soon as a better opportunity came along, she would quit and take the better job. The interviewer wanted someone both desperate and with no other options. Nice, huh?

[FMD]

The reason behind that attitude is because a person who is backed into a corner will do just about anything to keep the job.

but the liberals around here feel a company would NEVER exploit a worker!

[Achbek1]

Y'know what?

All things being equal, wouldn't a seasoned and educated HR person be WELL AWARE of the current state of the local economy and know that the area is full of people who may seem overqualified or overeducated but that THESE PEOPLE STILL NEED JOBS?!

Do they realize that turning such people away for work is causing harm for everyone involved? Sheesh.

[yokes]

Y'know what?

All things being equal, wouldn't a seasoned and educated HR person be WELL AWARE of the current state of the local economy and know that the area is full of people who may seem overqualified or overeducated but that THESE PEOPLE STILL NEED JOBS?!

Absolutely, but....for every overqualified applicant there are a dozen applicants more in line with the job being offered, thus producing less flight risk upon hiring. Guess who gets hired

[Achbek1]

I found in interesting blog that describes the themes of this thread:

http://icantfindajob.wordpress.com/about/

[Achbek1]

Okay guys, how about this?

I just applied for a "mid level" position and this time I kinda deliberately downplayed my "professional" experience and education and even dug up my now decade old list of office temp positions...

Let's see if this works.

[Achbek1]

Whoah, what's up with the green highlighted links?!

[Linda_D]

Achbek, I think that the best way to deal with being "overqualified" is take the offensive and make it clear that you are NOT "overqualified" for your new career. You have to decide upon a new career, and you have to show that you are serious about a change. An assistant controller with an MBA who goes back to school and gets a teaching certificate isn't "overqualified" for a beginning teaching position. She's a new teacher, and if she's willing to take a pay cut to start a new career, that's going to appeal to search committees.

OTOH, somebody who's just looking for "a job" in a different field is probably not going to be able to surmount the "overqualified" label.

[Linda_D]

Whoah, what's up with the green highlighted links?!

I don't know, but it's annoying.

[Linda_D]

Why aren't these people self-employed? I took a job right out of law school just to get experience so I could become a professional self-employed person.

The lady with an MBA should be running her own cleaning business.

The JD should be practicing law.

The only reason they are not is because they are slugs.

People who get MBA's and JD's, then cry about not being able to find "a job" should never had gotten the degree in the first place.

I agree. A friend of mine's 27-year-old son finished UB pharmacy school last year and now works as a desk clerk in a local motel. I don't know if he's missing a course for graduation or if there's some exam he has to take and hasn't bothered to take it, but he apparently doesn't want to be a pharmacist. He's perfectly happy, apparently, living in his old bedroom at Mom's and doing poor paying, close to menial labor. At least if he worked construction, he'd make decent money.

[Achbek1]

Achbek, I think that the best way to deal with being "overqualified" is take the offensive and make it clear that you are NOT "overqualified" for your new career. You have to decide upon a new career, and you have to show that you are serious about a change. An assistant controller with an MBA who goes back to school and gets a teaching certificate isn't "overqualified" for a beginning teaching position. She's a new teacher, and if she's willing to take a pay cut to start a new career, that's going to appeal to search committees.

OTOH, somebody who's just looking for "a job" in a different field is probably not going to be able to surmount the "overqualified" label.

I have been putting in my cover letters that I am a "career changer," etc.

This whole discussion reminds me of an old college friend's former professor. He had in PhD in something but moonlighted as a bartender at a pub somewhere. One time someone who knew the professor from campus asked what his PhD was in and the bartender/professor went, "SHHHHHH! Not so loud! I don't want anyone in here to know I have a PhD!"

[Achbek1]

I agree. A friend of mine's 27-year-old son finished UB pharmacy school last year and now works as a desk clerk in a local motel. I don't know if he's missing a course for graduation or if there's some exam he has to take and hasn't bothered to take it, but he apparently doesn't want to be a pharmacist. He's perfectly happy, apparently, living in his old bedroom at Mom's and doing poor paying, close to menial labor. At least if he worked construction, he'd make decent money.

My 28 year old nephew never went to college and worked construction. He has no debt, plenty of money and lives comfortably. He's also engaged to a girl with a master's degree, but she has a secure job as a public high school teacher...

[ERIEMAN]

I agree. A friend of mine's 27-year-old son finished UB pharmacy school last year and now works as a desk clerk in a local motel. I don't know if he's missing a course for graduation or if there's some exam he has to take and hasn't bothered to take it, but he apparently doesn't want to be a pharmacist. He's perfectly happy, apparently, living in his old bedroom at Mom's and doing poor paying, close to menial labor. At least if he worked construction, he'd make decent money.

Dumb, dumb, dumb. There's so many available jobs in the industry that don't involve pill-pushing. What a waste.

[Linda_D]

Dumb, dumb, dumb. There's so many available jobs in the industry that don't involve pill-pushing. What a waste.

I agree. It's not like he doesn't have skills that are in demand. Moreover, if you're going to be doing a crap job, pushing pills in a pharmacy pays better than desk clerking in a motel.

IMO, he's little more than an irresponsible spoiled brat. He's an only child who came along late, and Mom has catered to his every whim. I think he may be a "professional student" who has maxed out his student loans because he was thinking about continuing at UB for some other "specialty" but Mom, who's retired, wouldn't/couldn't foot the bill, so he actually had to get a job. Not too much ambition in this kid.