Overqualified?

Taualumna · #1 08-07-2006, 02:16 PM

Has anyone been told that they're overqualified for a position? I seem to get lots of interviews, but no offers for because I'm either overqualified or not qualified enough. I have two degrees and a post-graduate certificate (and lots of volunteer work), which is apparently too much for some entry-level jobs. However, I don't have in enough for jobs at a slightly higher level. Any advice for such a situation?

DeltAlum · #2 08-10-2006, 10:54 PM

I was once told to "dumb down" my resume.

I didn't, so I don't know if it's good advice or not.

KillarneyRose · #3 08-11-2006, 08:37 AM

When I got married and moved from NYC to Virginia Beach, I thought that employers would be jumping all over one another in their rush to hire me. I am sure the other ten zillion or so Navy spouses thought the same thing when THEY moved there

After a month of sending out 150 unsolicited resumes but not one bite, I signed up with a couple of temp agencies and the people at both places suggested that I remove the fact that I have a BA from my resume and downgrade my former PR account executive position to a more "administrative" position (i.e. secretary)

Like DA, I declined to "dumb myself down". I figured it would hurt more than help in the long run and, besides, it was lying.

I gave up on the temping and got a waitressing job where I made good money. In the subsequent years, I was able to find freelance work and internal PR work without fudging my resume.

Good luck to you! I know it's frustrating.

AlphaFrog · #4 08-11-2006, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KillarneyRose

After a month of sending out 150 unsolicited resumes but not one bite, I signed up with a couple of temp agencies and the people at both places suggested that I remove the fact that I have a BA from my resume and downgrade my former PR account executive position to a more "administrative" position (i.e. secretary).

That sounds like a good way of finding "A" job, any old job, making a TON less then you're worth.

adpiucf · #5 08-11-2006, 11:30 AM

This has happened to me twice. In the end, it all worked out: I would have been bored.

KSigkid · #6 08-11-2006, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adpiucf

This has happened to me twice. In the end, it all worked out: I would have been bored.

It happened to me once; I later found out that it was because the job description was very misleading; I would have hated the job itself, even though the description sounded promising.

alum · #7 08-12-2006, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KillarneyRose

When I got married and moved from NYC to Virginia Beach, I thought that employers would be jumping all over one another in their rush to hire me. I am sure the other ten zillion or so Navy spouses thought the same thing when THEY moved there

After a month of sending out 150 unsolicited resumes but not one bite, I signed up with a couple of temp agencies and the people at both places suggested that I remove the fact that I have a BA from my resume and downgrade my former PR account executive position to a more "administrative" position (i.e. secretary)

Like DA, I declined to "dumb myself down". I figured it would hurt more than help in the long run and, besides, it was lying.

I gave up on the temping and got a waitressing job where I made good money. In the subsequent years, I was able to find freelance work and internal PR work without fudging my resume.

Good luck to you! I know it's frustrating.

I know many Army officers' wives in the same situation. Quite a few of us went back to school to get certified, get a MA/MS in our subject area so we could teach at the cc level, took the lowest GS level position just to get in the system, etc. Others opted to start their families in their early/mid 20s vs waiting until 30.

Taualumna · #8 08-12-2006, 04:54 PM

Regarding dumbing down my resume: If I took out my master's degree, people are going to wonder what I was doing between 2002 and 2004!

DeltAlum · #9 08-12-2006, 10:00 PM

Tell them you took an around the world trip.

Munchkin03 · #10 08-16-2006, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alum

I know many Army officers' wives in the same situation. Quite a few of us went back to school to get certified, get a MA/MS in our subject area so we could teach at the cc level, took the lowest GS level position just to get in the system, etc. Others opted to start their families in their early/mid 20s vs waiting until 30.

:::yawn:::

Alum, there are plenty of NCO wives who have degrees and want careers too (shocking, isn't it?), and many are in the same situation. Women who wear their husbands' ranks make me ill.

I took a job for which I was overqualified because I really wanted to have a job right when I finished grad school. BIG MISTAKE. Huge!

blueangel · #11 08-17-2006, 03:06 PM

BTW-- Delt Alum... what kind of hours will you have? I would imagine mainly evening hours to cover sports?

Mine are crazy.. never the same. Sometimes I start work late at night.. sometimes the wee hours in the morning. Wonder what 9 to 5 is like??? But on the plus side, I get to enjoy the afternoon most days-- go to the pool and such.

KillarneyRose · #12 08-19-2006, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Alum, there are plenty of NCO wives who have degrees and want careers too (shocking, isn't it?), and many are in the same situation. Women who wear their husbands' ranks make me ill.

I took a job for which I was overqualified because I really wanted to have a job right when I finished grad school. BIG MISTAKE. Huge!

I think alum was just replying to my post and she knows that my husband is an officer.

But you're right about the "taking a job you're overqualified for to get a foot in the door" thing being a huge mistake. I know some people who did that right after college and it took literally years for them to dig themselves out of that hole.

alum · #13 08-19-2006, 09:44 PM

KR, Thanks!

M03, You are absolutely correct. There are many military members of all ranks whose dependent spouses (don't forget sometimes the wife is the active-duty member) are overqualified for the available positions on an installation.

When I recounted my experience, I used the term officers' wives because that's who I lived amongst and knew on a personal basis. Although the boundaries are blurred a bit, the junior enlisted, the NCOs, the warrants, the company-grade officers, and the field-grade officers don't really associate with eachother on a social basis except at formal functions. The Army units to which my H has been assigned have been relatively strict in this regard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

:::yawn:::

Alum, there are plenty of NCO wives who have degrees and want careers too (shocking, isn't it?), and many are in the same situation. Women who wear their husbands' ranks make me ill.

I took a job for which I was overqualified because I really wanted to have a job right when I finished grad school. BIG MISTAKE. Huge!