Advice on how to deal with people seeing you as overqualified

[nymphadora]

For dh. Had an interview for a job today he was keen on & they had decided before he arrived that it 'wasn't appropriate for a man of his standing' ( previously in v respected job). He is trying for part time basic jobs due to wanting a better life/work balance & to try and go in a totally different direction. This is the second interview that has had this attitude. Has another interview tomorrow which sounds more organised( email re today's interview yesterday afternoon! ) so may be fairer that way.

Any suggestions how to deal with it & make employers see he does want to work for them?

I had this when I changed sectors and had to go a couple of rungs down the ladder.

I was extremely careful in the way I presented my work experience on application. Eg, would leave out managing a team, holding large budgets etc, and focus on the things the new job wanted (clerical stuff, customer service, being part of a team etc). I also would leave out the very early first jobs so my work history didn't look like Methuselah's! and my supporting statements would make it clear I was actively seeking part-time work etc etc. Similar attitude in the interview - I wouldn't play dumb but certainly wouldn't 'act' like a senior member of staff who knew everything and wore an expensive suit etc. I would also be clear that I was a loyal worker, looking to be at this level and give them the reasons why i wasn't going to get bored and run off in 6 months (which tended to be the issue they were most worried about). In the end I got very persuasive! it can take a while, but in the end you find somebody you click with who's willing to take a chance on you

Today's interview was after a phone call ,a CV & a few emails. He then drove an hour for an interview. They seemed keen until today.

He is dropping from senior v well respected job to min wage ish stuff so v big drop but getting his life back is well worth it.

His first jobs were more relevant than the last 3 to the sector he is aiming at. Today's job was a 6m contract too so didn't have to worry about him getting bored.

Think this is more frustrating than someone being better than you at interview!

Is there any chance of him addressing the issue in the pre-visit phone call?
I work in the NHS and we have an ongoing issue of very overqualified people applying for basic technical jobs, who then don't like the job/find it dull/leave after a few months when we've spent the time and effort training them up.
Although your DH isn't intending to do the above, employers can be hesitant because the cost (money and time) involved in going through the recruitment process again.

Having said that the interview he's just been to sound like he's better off without them as they've mucked him about a bit.

I am in the same position but have been getting somewhere by heavily editing my CV for each job. So play up the basic skills they want and play down the more qualified type skills. Also include a covering letter that addresses why you want the job and why you are looking to change sectors.

He did with last two interviews & both were 6 m contracts

sounds like he's doing all the right things, next step is to just keep going - it can take a while. but he will get there in the end. x

Think once he has had A job at this level he will be ok but needs that first step.

Interview today ok but job dependent on funding so got to wait til next week.

Also had another job turned down today but was likely to be a popular one

I'm having this difficulty too so can emphathise.. I've resorted to changing my CV to decrease the detail I've put in about my (legal) career and just including the admin/secretarial type skills I developed there. I'm also avoiding drawing attention to my academic qualifications in my cover letter (I have an Oxbridge First which is good in some situations but not others!). It's galling, considering the effort I've put in to get my qualifications and career path, but I can't see any other way of going about it.

Really hope your DH gets something soon.

nymph I think you're right - and you've reminded me: can anybody he knows give him a break and offer a tiny bit of the right kind of work,maybe even unpaid? so he's got form on his cv and someone willing to give a reference for this level of work. (he doesn't have to say it was unpaid, or could list it as self-employed.) This really helped me - I literally had 2 days' voluntary work from 2 different places that friends of friends put me in touch with, but it went at the top of my CV so the first thing they saw was the right thing. or he could even start some voluntary work in the right area. i'm sure charities would love somebody reliable and well-educated wanting to work for them, and quite often there is short-term/one-off stuff to do that won't interfere with an actual job when he gets one.

Everyone we know are in similar sectors to the ones he is avoiding!

Job from last week is the last one outstanding in preferred sectors so looking for a plan B at the moment.

I suggest becoming a board member of a charity in the kind of field he's interested in if he's not already. There are loads of online databanks ; there's been a crisis in the charity sector about attracting experienced and serious trustees that can make a difference. if DH was in any way senior in a corporate or commercial environment i'm sure it will make people v interested, particularly if he's got live contacts still. Anything like PR, fundraising, marketing, HR, IT, accounting would be a particular godsend to most charities, but any systems and project/team management knowledge is always helpful.

Not in those sorts of fields, he used lots of those skills though not to a high enough level. Wrong area of the country for that sort of work too.

chin up, I'm sorry it's seeming so hard at the mo. x

Thanks

Seen two more in the right field this afternoon so he's doing applications. He's going to have to stretch his preferred jobs I think.

one phrase 'reculer pour mieux sauter' = taking a step backwards in order to leap forwards.

missing an accent there and there.

min you, DH has ben unemployed 2 years, so it isn't bloody working :)

hey-ho an all that. It worked for me, when i down-graded myself into a different sector.

Thanks, sorry to hear about your dh though.