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Discriminated against for being over qualified?

Teresa

Over the last three months I’ve applied for 3 roles, been thanked for my application, but told they won’t be going any further as I am ‘overqualified for the role’. One was for a charity with whom I have a personal connection, the other two were small - but growing - companies who I felt I could really help. I am now wondering how many others there have been who agreed with but didn’t voice this opinion.

I made it clear - or thought I’d made it clear - that I wanted to work locally, that I understood the role’s requirements and salary, and that I wanted to feel I was making a difference rather than just being a small cog in a big machine, but no joy. I’m now feeling, to be honest, discriminated against big-time!

I don’t want to have to have long commutes for the foreseeable future - yes there’s the pay and associated benefits but my wellbeing and quality of life is worth more to me. Any ideas on how to sell ‘being overqualified’ as a benefit to the employer?

Thanks.  

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  • Just as an aside. I wonder if anyone has ever worked out what the success factor is for a suitably qualified candidate applying for a job.

    Total guess work but 1:10 1:20? ( for suitably fully qualified)

    It may be simply a factor that applying for a job a month simply is not stacking the odds in your favour ( and I appreciate these jobs won’t come up very often)
  • in reply to Keith
    My wife has a success factor of 1:1. She's never not been offered a job she applied for. Sickening, isn't it?

    As far as being told you're "over qualified"... I would be inclined to push back for more information. We have numerous examples of people on this forum who complain they can't get an entry level role in HR after completing their MA in HRM, but that makes sense: they're over-qualified, but under-experienced. But in Teresa's case, she has both the qualifications and experience to perform the role, isn't expecting more money and understands the limits of expectations.

    In such cases "you're over-qualified" simply isn't a good reason to reject a candidate.

    Scratch a little deeper and you may find that they are terrified of challenge and change: they just want someone to keep the personnel files organized and the tea caddy full - they don't want an HR expert pointing out all the things they're not doing but ought to be or doing but ought not to be.

    It's short-sighted, but in many cases you may be better off not working for such organizations.
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  • in reply to Keith
    My wife has a success factor of 1:1. She's never not been offered a job she applied for. Sickening, isn't it?

    As far as being told you're "over qualified"... I would be inclined to push back for more information. We have numerous examples of people on this forum who complain they can't get an entry level role in HR after completing their MA in HRM, but that makes sense: they're over-qualified, but under-experienced. But in Teresa's case, she has both the qualifications and experience to perform the role, isn't expecting more money and understands the limits of expectations.

    In such cases "you're over-qualified" simply isn't a good reason to reject a candidate.

    Scratch a little deeper and you may find that they are terrified of challenge and change: they just want someone to keep the personnel files organized and the tea caddy full - they don't want an HR expert pointing out all the things they're not doing but ought to be or doing but ought not to be.

    It's short-sighted, but in many cases you may be better off not working for such organizations.
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