Too much experience/overqualified

[17leftfeet]

For anyone that recruits

Why is this a problem?

If I'm applying for a job, I've made the decision that its a job and salary that I'm willing to work for but this is consistently the feedback I'm receiving

Do I need to 'dumb down' my cv?

I don't recruit but I've been in this position and they won't think you'll stay long or want to do the job as given, but be wanting to move up. I had many cvs just highlighting relevant experience for the role, there's no point putting anything that doesn't relate to the role you want in.

Because overqualified/too much experience often means not enough of the right experience - ie a manager wanting an administrator job as opposed to someone who has lots of recent administration experience

Because qualifications that are not needed for the job don't make the person better at the job

Because there is a feeling that the person will be looking for something else very quickly and are just looking for a job any job while they look for something else

Because recruiters know that however much someone might think they want a lower level job, taking one can be enormously stressful if you are used to more responsibility and lead to dissatisfaction

Because managing someone who is more experienced/qualified than you can be challenging for some managers

could probably think of more.

Also I do agree with flowery, I did take an easier, family friendly job after having dc and it sucked. I got it by mentioning only relevant experience but after the fast pace and managing my own team I went back to my old company after a year and a half as I couldn't stand the boredom.

Feeling bored, underutilised and underpaid combined with working for someone whose job you could easily do and whose job you probably think you could much better than them is as stressful as having lots of responsibility, probably more. It's pretty common for people to think they want a nice stress free job with no responsibility but actually to hate it and find it enormously frustrating.

I considered doing it for a nano second after DS1 was born, until DH said "are you kidding? You'd spend the whole time irritated with your boss and wanting to do their job for them". He was right.

You are probably right about me potentially judging my manager -but then I did that when I was 19 and in an entry level position

The problem is I'm changing sector so I was fully expecting to take a lower position, looks like I've been applying for the wrong jobs

I took someone on at work on a temp basis who was overqualified - I was clear with the agency my concerns and they discussed it with her so we both knew where we stood. She has mow been with me for about 6 months and it has worked out well - I think the fact it was not a perm job worked in both our favors as if it ha a been a perm one I would have worried about all the things that Flowery mentioned and she would have been concerned that she would be trapped. After she took the role she told me she had been out of work for 7 months as everyone had told her she was overqualified. I wonder if you might have more luck with short term contracts - I think employers are more likely to take a risk with those.