Are you hearing you are “overqualified” for the opportunities you are applying for? If so, consider this:

When you hear a hiring company rejects candidates because they are too old, young, tall, short, fat, or thin versus a shortcoming in their education, training, experience, or attitude, this should raise the critical question: Do you REALLY want to work there?

However, if the interviewer really believes you are overqualified, they mean you might not be happy in the role. Maybe the compensation is not suitable to your career level. Their job is to minimize the expense of staff turnover. They don’t want you to head out the door as soon as something better comes along.

So what if you really are overqualified?

Remember: the biggest issue facing ALL organizations today is PROFITABILITY! You need to focus on the value you would deliver to an organization. How could you impact their bottom line?

It’s hard to imagine an interviewer saying, “Mr. Smith, I am afraid that you are overqualified in generating profits for your employer. You simply produce too much revenue. Plus, you are far too effective in streamlining our operations to minimize costs!”

Take a fresh look at your resume. Does it clearly articulate your value in dollars and cents? Does it show how you have been instrumental in solving profitability problems for previous employers? If the answer is yes, you will be sought out by hiring managers!

Surely you’ve helped with profitability in previous roles. If you received a salary or wage, then you contributed to profitability, either via revenue generation or cost containment.

If not, then you did not have a job, you had a hobby. And the money you received was a charitable gift.

When interviewers say “value,” they are considering monetary worth represented by a figure. Make sure you provide a clear statement of your “value” measured in dollars.

Need help with your job search? Contact us for professional resume writing services, career coaching, and interview coaching, including questions to ask in an interview!

Beth Kelzer

Follow Beth at LinkedIn.com/in/marybkelzer
CareerToolboxUSA

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