Need advice/opinions about changing job - overqualified?

[Fanella]

I'm currently working for a government funded organisation which is steadily getting more and more target driven.

I've been working in this area for ten years now and I'm thinking it's time for a change. I've seen an admin job at a children's centre nearby that I like the look of - it's closer, it will fit in with childcare and I'm hoping it will be less stressful than the stuff I do now.

The thing is I'm thinking that I havent a cat in hell's chance because of my qualifications and experience. They'll probably see it as a stop gap for me or worry that I'll get bored and want to go back to my old job. I'm pretty sure I won't.

Has anyone else changed career in this way, and if I do decide to apply for it, how do I word it so they know I'm serious about it?

TIA

[Fanella]

shameless bump. My pen is poised over the application form...

[flowerybeanbag]

You're going to have to be very convincing. Reasons like 'it will fit in with childcare' and 'it will be less stressful' wouldn't convince me. I'm not suggesting you'd actually put that, but what I am saying is you need to come up with something better to convince them that this is a very deliberate, considered decision.

I haven't done this myself, and I agree that people who have done it are going to be most useful to you. I did briefly consider it at one point, it would have been a sideways move from a job I had already outgrown, so very much 'beneath' my skills and experience and abilities. I didn't even get as far as applying as I realised having thought about it for a nanosecond that I would get far too frustrated, bored and would be constantly annoyed with whoever my boss would have been for not doing as good a job as I would have done.

I would advise you to be more than pretty sure if possible, and to come up with something that sounds extremely though-out as a reason why this is the right thing for you. Unhelpfully I can't think of anything you could say off the top of my head that would convince me, but I'll have a think and hopefully someone else will have some ideas.

[Fanella]

Thanks for your response flowerybeanbag.

You've hit on what's most worrying me really - I'm not 100% convinced that sometime down the line I won't regret 'moving down' for want of a better phrase - and will it make it harder to 'move back up'?

I think I'm just fed up with the targets, travel and having to organise childcare for extra cover etc. On the other hand - dd will be at school next year and my current employers are willing to pay for me to do additional qualifications. Maybe I just need to weather the storm for a while.

I will think on it a bit...thanks.

[halia]

Adapt your CV/application form. I#ve done this a couple of times when I wanted a less demanding job because of other commitments.

So if your current job title is
"project manager" call it project worker
if you manage the finances say "assist with finances"if they want GCSE's and you have a degree, put down your A levels but leave the degree off, if that leaves a gap in your CV put in 'attended college' or something similar.

Dont' tell any outright lies but instead of making yourself look brilliant you are making yourself look OK.

swap:
managed v administered
led v assisted
Delivered v worked on
Negotiation of contracts v customer handling
report writing v office administration
Finance management v bookkeeping

I didn't find the job being less demanding a problem , it was a p/t post and I was dealing with a family crises.

What I did find a problem was trading back 'up' afterwards, the best option was to do some studying as well when things calmed down a bit.

Good luck, I say life is sometimes too short to get stuck in stressful jobs!

[Fanella]

oh halia you've made me think again, again!

Thanks for the advice and info - I think I might have a go at the app form and see what I come up with. Trouble is, the only reasons I can think of for moving jobs are because of stress, too much responsibilty or childcare. Not really what a prospective employer is looking for - but what other reasons would I have for taking a lower wage and less responsibility?

Re: trading up - the quandary here is do I stay with my current employer and have them pay for further training in an area I'm not particularly interested in (although it would make it easier to find other, possibly free lance work) - or finance myself in studying something I do want to do? Which I can't afford...

[GrapefruitMoon]

halia, that's really good advice - thanks.

I am trying to go back to work after being a sahm for a few years and will be overqualified for the jobs I am interested in... didn't even get an interview for the first one I applied for so far though I tried to play down the management experience I had...

[ScotsLassDownSouth]

I am currently working in a job that's very much "beneath" my skills.

I'm here because my old job required 60 hour weeks, long commutes, office politics, etc . . .

Current job is a doddle - I really enjoyed it for the first 6 months - but now I'm really BORED. And now I have the title "assistant" instead of "manager" - so I can't see how I move back up. I

It's not an easy decision . . . Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[MrsWobble]

it depends on the details of the job obviously but when i'm recruiting support staff i don't think it's a negative for someone to want the job because it fits in with their family commitments - as an employer i want to be as sure as i can be that the person will stay for a reasonable length of time - the issue with overqualified applicants is that they can get bored and leave.

In many ways i prefer people in that position - you can get better quality staff for the job who are committed to you as an employer because you've found a way to make the job work round them.

you do need to be sure you wouldn't be bored though which might be an issue.

[Fanella]

Thanks so much for answers everyone - it's given me loads to think about.

The bottom line is that I have been less than happy at work for a while now - so I think I'm going to go for it. What will be will be eh?

I really appreciate your input. I'll let you know how it goes...