Member-only story
STOP telling me that I’m Overqualified!
There’s “Qualified” and There’s “Not Qualified”. How can I be “Overqualified”?
This is a topic that I felt quite strongly about. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been through the experience myself.
A couple of years ago, I was laid off from my job due to an organizational change and I found myself having to try to land myself a new gig before the notice period was up. The job market was soft and there weren’t a lot of jobs at that level.
The Rejections
I faced numerous rejections. Either the industry was “new” to me, or I was too “senior” for the roles. At that point in time, it felt like you’re really getting old once you pass 40.
For the first time, I felt like that. Old and no longer able to compete. From managing a team of 20+, I started looking at individual contributor roles, and smaller team lead roles. That was when I was told that I was “overqualified”.
I was frustrated. Clearly, I could do the job. I mean, I’ve been recruiting for a long time, and even as a function lead, I would still work on roles and I was actually quite good at it. I am definitely qualified, but overqualified? That sounded really harsh. I’m sure there’s a better reason to reject me right?
