What to Do When You're Overqualified for A Job

By Jennifer Parris, Mashable.com
You’ve been a dutiful job seeker for a while, and finally, you’ve found a position ... that you could do blindfolded. But after you’re called in for an interview, the hiring manager utters the dreaded “o” word — overqualified. Still, you really want this position. Here’s what you need to do when you’re overqualified for a job.

Be Honest

It will be immediately obvious to your interviewer that you are overqualified for the position, and there’s nothing wrong in saying so. After all, if you don’t bring it up, the hiring manager surely will. So, have a game plan ready for when the question comes up. There are many reasons for someone to take a position that is considered below them. Maybe the job offers you the option to telecommute, which is what you need at this stage of your career. Or maybe it’s a fifteen-minute commute door to door, or a job with a company that you’ve always wanted to work for. Whatever the case, you should be honest about your intentions.
 
Focus On How You Can Help

All your extensive workplace experience can either help you or harm you during an interview. It’s up to you to offer some perspective to your potential boss by showcasing your skills, and then explain how those skills can help the company. Maybe you helped bring your previous company back from the brink of bankruptcy. Or, your business acumen helped seal a merger with a Fortune 500 company. Learn everything you can about the needs of your prospective company, and be ready to show how your expertise can help it accomplish those goals.
 
Modify Your Resume

Most people enhance some part of their resumes to make themselves look more qualified and skilled than they actually are. But when you’re already overqualified for a job, you need to do the exact opposite. Look for areas in which you can trim down some of your previous experience so that you are still qualified for the position, but not overqualified. That way, a hiring manager will most likely call you in for an interview without tossing your resume on the “pass” pile.
 
Offer A Commitment

The biggest fear that a potential boss faces when hiring someone who is overqualified is that he or she will get bored with the job after a while and then quit, leaving the company to start the time-consuming — and expensive — hiring process all over again. Ensure that you have no plans of leaving — sometimes employers may want you to sign a contract to confirm that you will work with the company for at least 12-18 months. But you should only sign an agreement if you’re truly willing to dedicate that time to the organization.
 
Take Salary Off the Table

With your expertise and experience, a hiring manager might assume you’ll want a higher starting salary than another candidates. Make it clear that your previous positions — and earnings — will not inflate your salary requirements. Stress that you are looking for a salary that reflects the job's current market value — and that you also are open to negotiation. That will help smooth the way to getting a second interview, and hopefully a cold hard job offer.