Thu, April 23, 2009
You've lost your job.
But you don't immediately panic. After all, you have an undergraduate degree and perhaps an advanced degree. You either saved or more likely borrowed heavily to earn this get-out-of-unemployment-free card. So with your beefy résumé, you begin applying for jobs confident that you will land something soon paying the high five- or six-figure salary you've been accustomed to earning.
But then you hear those dreadful words: "I'm sorry; you're overqualified."
In a Homer Simpson moment, you exclaim, "D'oh!"
Unfortunately, many highly qualified and educated professionals are discovering that their overqualifications are a scarlet letter on their résumé.
The number of unemployed people rose 694,000, to 13.2 million, in March. Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost 5.1 million jobs, with almost two-thirds of the losses (3.3 million) occurring in the past five months, according to the Labor Department. During that period, job losses were spread across major industry sectors.
If those numbers aren't scary enough, the government figures show a disturbing trend. The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) rose to 3.2 million in March and has increased by about 1.9 million since the start of the recession.
With the massive layoffs and the extended time it takes to find a job, many of the unemployed are downgrading their job expectations and are applying for positions for which they are overqualified just so they can pay their bills. However, professionals are finding that employers are reluctant to hire them.
In some cases, employers are too cowardly to tell someone he's not the right fit for a position, so they use the "you're overqualified" route as an easy out.
But as I work with people searching for employment, it's more often the case that employers fear that an overqualified worker will quit as soon as a better offer comes along. Others worry the candidate may get bored or become dissatisfied with the position because she's earning much less than she's used to making.
In this year's Color of Money Challenge, I'm working with people who lost their jobs because of the recession. Overqualification has come up quite a bit.
Bobbie Wilson, one of the challengers who agreed to let me help her and her husband get through their financial troubles, heard the dreaded words right away during a recent job interview.
The Maryland resident said she tried to persuade the hiring manager that she didn't mind taking a pay cut and a step back. The job, an administrative assistant position, wasn't even full-time.
"The manager kept saying she thought I would get bored," said Wilson, a graduate of George Mason University with extensive paralegal and office administration experience. "I was honestly upset. I was telling the person I was okay with the position and it fit my lifestyle. I was also a little stressed because I really needed to get back to work."
Wilson said it was a frustrating interview, especially because the hiring manager was impressed with her résumé. She earned a paralegal certificate from Howard University and was class valedictorian. Yet her pleas didn't matter. She didn't get the job.
So how do you get through to managers who want to stamp you with the "O" word? Here are some of the suggestions I've given to Wilson and others applying for lower-level jobs:
-- Simplify your résumé. If you have an advanced degree such as a master's, don't list it on your résumé. If asked, don't lie, but you want to at least get an interview and a chance to explain why you are willing to take a job for which you may be overqualified.
-- Beat the manager to the punch. In your cover letter, or if you're fortunate to get an interview either face-to-face or on the telephone, acknowledge that you may appear overqualified for the job. But stress that you are willing to work hard and at a lower position. And you need to be convincing. This means you have to mean what you say.
-- Address the pay issue. You don't want to talk money too soon, but be upfront that you are willing to work for less -- probably much less than your previous job. Again, be authentic. Without sounding desperate -- even if you are -- explain that given the economy, you have realistic salary expectations.
-- This recession has been a humbling experience for highly experienced professionals. So my last tip is: Watch your attitude when job-hunting.
Hiring managers are flooded with applications, and they don't have time for someone who might look down on the position they are trying to fill. Think of it from that person's perspective. It costs money to fill and then refill a position. You might say you are willing to work for anything, but they can tell if you're just buying time until you can get a better job.
