I recently applied for a job at a company whose name will remain undisclosed.
After thousands of emails back and forth, phone calls and interviews, they finally phoned and told me; "you have too much experience for this job". Stunned at this justification for why I wasn't successful, I simply replied with "okay, that's understandable, thank you for the opportunity". As I hung up the phone, I wondered to myself why it had not occurred to them to let me know they thought I had to much experience or wasn't suited for the position sooner? It probably would have saved us both a lot of time. Moreover, if I felt that I would have been unhappy doing a job below my skill level, I am fairly sure I wouldn't have applied at all. And, if you are supposedly too qualified, how is this actually a bad thing if you're happy to do the work?
So, what do you do when an employer thinks you're too qualified for a job?
I mean, you can't exactly respond with "well, I can be less educated" or "I just wont work as hard, please hire me".
With the job market the way it is at the moment, it is getting harder and harder for us Gen Y entering the workforce to get jobs, let alone our dream job. This means that a lot of us are going for jobs that are below our skill set because well, we've got to start somewhere; especially in the media industry!
Being turned away because you are too experienced feels a bit like a catch 22. If we're too experienced for a graduate entry job and not experienced enough for any other, then what are we to do?
The other major thing that occurred to me was that I actually just wasn't the best candidate for the job, but they wanted to let me down lightly. Let me just say, that doesn't work. If any employers are reading this, let me assure you, telling a lie doesn't help applicants grow. It sure hasn't helped me grow if that is the truth. If we're not the right candidate, we're not right. That's fine, at least tell us why instead of sugar coating it to save face or feelings.
After this rant, the only answer I have to the "you're too qualified" dilemma is... keep trying. Keep applying and keep looking because the right job is out there. I can see how this is completely idealistic because I hear so often that the dream job actually doesn't exist (bah-bum). I know better than anyone paying your dues is just a part of finding your way in your career, so if that's what you've got to do. Do it. Work for free, work for food, work for movie tickets, work until everyone knows your name. After today I'm looking at things this way, in the end a job that is the right fit for me will come along and I'll be really happy when it does. That's not to say I might not be doing night fill at Woolworths in a few years. Who knows? But for now, at least, I'm back trawling seek.com.
All my love,
Al
Xx
After thousands of emails back and forth, phone calls and interviews, they finally phoned and told me; "you have too much experience for this job". Stunned at this justification for why I wasn't successful, I simply replied with "okay, that's understandable, thank you for the opportunity". As I hung up the phone, I wondered to myself why it had not occurred to them to let me know they thought I had to much experience or wasn't suited for the position sooner? It probably would have saved us both a lot of time. Moreover, if I felt that I would have been unhappy doing a job below my skill level, I am fairly sure I wouldn't have applied at all. And, if you are supposedly too qualified, how is this actually a bad thing if you're happy to do the work?
So, what do you do when an employer thinks you're too qualified for a job?
I mean, you can't exactly respond with "well, I can be less educated" or "I just wont work as hard, please hire me".
With the job market the way it is at the moment, it is getting harder and harder for us Gen Y entering the workforce to get jobs, let alone our dream job. This means that a lot of us are going for jobs that are below our skill set because well, we've got to start somewhere; especially in the media industry!
Being turned away because you are too experienced feels a bit like a catch 22. If we're too experienced for a graduate entry job and not experienced enough for any other, then what are we to do?
The other major thing that occurred to me was that I actually just wasn't the best candidate for the job, but they wanted to let me down lightly. Let me just say, that doesn't work. If any employers are reading this, let me assure you, telling a lie doesn't help applicants grow. It sure hasn't helped me grow if that is the truth. If we're not the right candidate, we're not right. That's fine, at least tell us why instead of sugar coating it to save face or feelings.
After this rant, the only answer I have to the "you're too qualified" dilemma is... keep trying. Keep applying and keep looking because the right job is out there. I can see how this is completely idealistic because I hear so often that the dream job actually doesn't exist (bah-bum). I know better than anyone paying your dues is just a part of finding your way in your career, so if that's what you've got to do. Do it. Work for free, work for food, work for movie tickets, work until everyone knows your name. After today I'm looking at things this way, in the end a job that is the right fit for me will come along and I'll be really happy when it does. That's not to say I might not be doing night fill at Woolworths in a few years. Who knows? But for now, at least, I'm back trawling seek.com.
All my love,
Al
Xx
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