too qualified for a job?

RoboRat

Is it possible to be too qualified for a job or is it just a BS fob off?

My wife recently went for an interview and was told that she blew them away with her interview and was the best candidate but they were giving the job to another candidate because they felt that she might get bored by the job and that they felt that she was taking too much of a salary cut. They were going with the candidate who was younger with less experience.

I honestly cannot fathom why a company would do this? She applied for the job and had done a **** load of research and frankly, she was perfect for the job - she had all the skills and even more. She knew what was being offered and was happy to take a pay cut as it would cut 2 hours commute from her life (not to mention the saving in fuel)... it was a work/life balance choice. She also knew what the job entailed and had found it very interesting and challenging.

Right now she is devastated about this and I can't blame her. Is it a case that this country is just happy to reward mediocrity and see's anybody who is talented as a challenge? She is 13 years working and went over an above with the interview to prove that she wanted the job and was the person they needed.

I cant understand why a company would just assume that its not a challenge even after they asked her in the interview and she told them that it was and she was really interested. In also cant understand why they would assume that she couldn't take the pay cut when she had said that she could. Its not like she was going in blind, she knew what was on the table and we had made a conscious decision to take that cut.

Surely you would take on the best person for the role? I cant seem to accept the excuses that they have given her. If the job was sewn up then why make her take another day off work for a second interview.

Stheno

Yes it's not uncommon.

I know when I've interviewed people in the past that if they appear to be overqualified, I do consider that, as while they might initially see the job as a challenge, within a few months/year they may get bored and move on to a different role, so any investment in training/upskilling is lost, not to mention the fees paid to a recruitment agency in some instances.

There can also be a perception by employers that people who are overqualified for a role, are simply looking for something until a more ideal role to which their qualifications are suited comes up.

ABajaninCork

I've been there. It's absolutely soul-destroying to be told that although you have all the attributes the employer is looking for, you still aren't their 'candidate of choice'.

I keep going, but it's getting harder and harder to be positive when you're told this time after time. All the hours wasted tailoring your CV, writing a good cover letter; time, money and fuel wasted in getting to the interview; researching the company. And all for nothing.

I've even been asked by a recruiter why I wasn't working with a CV like mine!

I'm so sorry for your wife, but at least she has a job for now. This seems to be happening more and more. It's an employer's market these days, and they are well and truly taking advantage of that fact.

DarkJager

Yes I've been told the same thing at interviews before. From the employers perspective I suppose they are looking for a candidate who will have a learning curve for the job and will stay with them for a long time. With people who have too much experience in a similar role, they might feel you'd develop boredom and leave after a year or before.

RoboRat

Thanks Stheno appreciate the feedback.

So, how do you convince a perspective employer that you actually find the job interesting? They asked her and she went into great detail about how she found it interesting, the challenges it posed and how excited she was by it.

The job was pretty much what she is doing now (which she loves) but she wants to move closer to home as we have a young family. She has been doing this job for the last 8 years for the same company so that should demonstrate her loyalty.

She really wanted this job and to be honest, she would have been excellent at it. They really f***** up not taking her on but she doesn't know what to do, she thought that the work she put into preparing for the interview clearly demonstrated how much she wanted the job.

TwoShedsJackson

Some companies or managers might prefer to hire someone younger or more inexperienced as they are easier to manipulate and/or likely to take more **** on the job than an older person who has been around the block a few times, so to speak.

RoboRat

Seriously, if anyone can tell me how you communicate to a perspective employer that you genuinely find a job interesting even though they consider it below your pay grade, please let me know as we are both clueless. Why do employers think that every employee is on the look out for a better job - better pay does not equal better life and that was the primary reason why this job was perfect. Its not lack of ambition, her ambition has always been results driven - she is ambitious for the company rather than for herself.

I cant understand why a perspective employer would rather take a punt on someone with less qualifications, experience and skills and dismiss the better candidate because they feel they 'might' get bored. Whats to say that the lesser skilled employee would stay... from my experience people with less skills are more likely to move job as they take what they can and then leave for a higher wage.

Even if she did leave, surely the 2 years they got would be beneficial as they would have an extremely competent employee for 2 years that would do great things for the business.

MrTsSnickers

I'm in this club too, except I don't have a job at the moment. I'm educated to M.A. level, have spent a lot of time throughout college gaining experience in my field as a volunteer as well as internships. I though that this would put me in a position to gain an entry level position with relative ease as I have a firm base on which to build skills. I've applied for anything and everything (in my field to begin with) relevant jobs to my career to Tesco/Dunnes etc. I've had a few interviews but that's where it stops (one was an entry level administrators position - they were talking about a second interview, for an entry level position - seemed a little strong, but hey who am I to argue). I've asked the interviewers (after the pfo obviously) is there anything I can do to improve my interview skills (I can get nervous and a little muddled) but they all said no that I interview very well and come across as very competent. I've asked when I've gotten a pfo without interview can I change my CV, they say no it's well done etc...

It's so hard to keep motivated to send out CVs when you primarily deal with rejection. One place I followed up with for a position I was perfect for simply said "look we had 150 applicants for 4/5 positions, a few years ago you'd have gotten an interview but we have people applying with anywhere from 3 years upwards experience". I can't, as someone who doesn't have any paid experience, compete with that.

Stheno

RoboRat wrote: »

Thanks Stheno appreciate the feedback.

So, how do you convince a perspective employer that you actually find the job interesting? They asked her and she went into great detail about how she found it interesting, the challenges it posed and how excited she was by it.

The job was pretty much what she is doing now (which she loves) but she wants to move closer to home as we have a young family. She has been doing this job for the last 8 years for the same company so that should demonstrate her loyalty.

She really wanted this job and to be honest, she would have been excellent at it. They really f***** up not taking her on but she doesn't know what to do, she thought that the work she put into preparing for the interview clearly demonstrated how much she wanted the job.

I think in this instance where you wife is looking to move jobs so that she has more time at home, and less commuting, that she should refer to her existing role, explain how much she likes it, but also talk about the fact that the role she is interviewing for will mean a better work/life balance for her.

I've certainly done that in the past, one of my pet hates is travelling with work and being away from home and I've used that as a reason why I want to move to a different role, and it's been fine.

Don't know if it came up in your wifes interview, but it would certainly explain to an interviewer why she is looking to take a step back in terms of her qualifications etc, and makes a lot of sense to a lot of employers.

RoboRat

I think in this instance where you wife is looking to move jobs so that she has more time at home, and less commuting, that she should refer to her existing role, explain how much she likes it, but also talk about the fact that the role she is interviewing for will mean a better work/life balance for her.

I've certainly done that in the past, one of my pet hates is travelling with work and being away from home and I've used that as a reason why I want to move to a different role, and it's been fine.

Don't know if it came up in your wifes interview, but it would certainly explain to an interviewer why she is looking to take a step back in terms of her qualifications etc, and makes a lot of sense to a lot of employers.

She did, several times.

Also, the job wasn't a step back, it was the same as what she does currently but the budget at her disposal was significantly less - this wasn't an issue to her, in fact it made the job more interesting as she has less money so would have to be more creative with her processes.

I am beginning to think the job was either sewn up already or that they were unsure about whether they really wanted to have this position and rather than have her leave a full time job and have to deal with letting her go... it was a new position so they might have been testing the waters.

Anyhow, appreciate all the feedback and to anyone who is without a job I really do sympathise and hope that you pick something up soon. It puts it in perspective for us, at least she has a job.

Stheno

RoboRat wrote: »

She did, several times.

Also, the job wasn't a step back, it was the same as what she does currently but the budget at her disposal was significantly less - this wasn't an issue to her, in fact it made the job more interesting as she has less money so would have to be more creative with her processes.

I am beginning to think the job was either sewn up already or that they were unsure about whether they really wanted to have this position and rather than have her leave a full time job and have to deal with letting her go... it was a new position so they might have been testing the waters.

Anyhow, appreciate all the feedback and to anyone who is without a job I really do sympathise and hope that you pick something up soon. It puts it in perspective for us, at least she has a job.

In that case, then I'd suspect they already had a "favoured" candidate, or that possibly, if it was a new position, that they've had the funding for it withdrawn.

If it was the latter, at least that would have been an easier response to deal with in some ways.

Wanderer2010

As already mentioned, they probably wanted someone who could be moulded and intimidated by weak management and a perosn who wouldnt answer back rather than your more than experienced wife. It sucks I know, but its very common. Weak bosses who cant stand being questioned or answered back commonly hire grad students who will follow their every move with and make them feel less of an incompetent idiot. Sad but true.

InTheTrees

Its a scary thought to hire someone who's plainly over qualified.

You'd wonder why they want the job. And if its just because they're desperate wouldn't they' leave as soon as something more appropriate comes up?

And how would they react to be "supervised" by someone less qualified than they are? And also making less money.

InTheTrees

RoboRat wrote: »

I am beginning to think the job was either sewn up already or that they were unsure about whether they really wanted to have this position and rather than have her leave a full time job and have to deal with letting her go... it was a new position so they might have been testing the waters.

True. Sometimes its company policy to advertise, even if they've already got an acceptable internal candidate. Government jobs can require that too maybe.

Sorry she didnt get it.

RoboRat

Its a scary thought to hire someone who's plainly over qualified.

You'd wonder why they want the job. And if its just because they're desperate wouldn't they' leave as soon as something more appropriate comes up?

And how would they react to be "supervised" by someone less qualified than they are? And also making less money.

Thats the puzzling thing about the job; for the position they were looking to fill she wasn't over qualified, she was actually perfect as it was exactly what she is doing and loves doing.

They were looking for a job to be done which required a specific skill set which she has, but I don't think they actually understand what is needed as the person to whom they have offered the position only has one part of the skill set. I really don't think they understand what is required and to get someone with her skill set was extremely lucky on their behalf especially considering they were undervaluing the position by about 50% - she went for it because of the convenience and that the industry interested her.

Anyhow, I have a feeling they will regret it.

trishasaffron

RoboRat wrote: »

I really don't think they understand what is required and to get someone with her skill set was extremely lucky on their behalf especially considering they were undervaluing the position by about 50% - she went for it because of the convenience and that the industry interested her.

To be honest if I thought a new employee's view was that I was extremely lucky to have them apply for the job I would not recruit them. Suitability for any job involves a lot more than being technically able to do it - if someone new thinks they are the best thing the company has had happen to them its quite possible that that attitude would cause problems with others on the team.

Procrastastudy

OP you've had a fair few responses so sorry if this sounds blunt; does it really escape your imagination that a manager might not want to employ someone with more experience than themselves?

It's fairly common to be over qualified for a job and also fairly common for that to set alarm bells ringing. Is she leaving or being pushed? (I'm not suggesting she is but that's a question a potential employer is going to ask themselves.)

BuffyBot

and also, there is just sometimes *no* reason. They just feel that way about someone who in your wife's position and no amount of trying to persuade them will change them. She may not intend to do all the things (get bored/leave etc) that are mentioned about, but if the interviewer believes she might, no amount of performance in the interview will persaude them differently.

RoboRat

To be honest if I thought a new employee's view was that I was extremely lucky to have them apply for the job I would not recruit them. Suitability for any job involves a lot more than being technically able to do it - if someone new thinks they are the best thing the company has had happen to them its quite possible that that attitude would cause problems with others on the team.

Thats not her view point, thats mine. She is very humble and is all about the company and not herself, she always has been and I cant see that changing.

OP you've had a fair few responses so sorry if this sounds blunt; does it really escape your imagination that a manager might not want to employ someone with more experience than themselves?

Thats the problem, its a new position and she would be reporting to the MD who owns the company so therefore has an interest to take on the best talent available. I could understand if its down to a manager who would see her as a threat (been there myself twice) but it was a senior role and there was nobody who could see her as a threat, thats why I cant make head nor tail of the decision. The more I think on it, the more I believe that they actually don't really know what the positions actually entails as they had always outsourced it and they had completely undervalued it.

Anyhow, thanks for the replies, it has provided a bit of solace to her.

GSF

Sometimes it makes sense to scale back your CV if appying for a role like this. So if you have managed a team of 15 - say you have managed a team of 3 and so on. You still sound like you can do the job, but not over qualified.