How To Handle The "You’re Overqualified" Situation Article

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How to Handle the "You’re Overqualified" Situation

If you are professionally overqualified, then you probably already know that there are lots of stressful issues that need to be dealt with. If you are in such a situation, then there will always be a constant internal debate and struggle going on within your mind about the job you are doing and what you are doing there.

Author: Anna D Banks Gcdf

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How to Handle the "You’re Overqualified" Situation

If you are professionally overqualified, then you probably already know that there are lots of stressful issues that need to be dealt with. If you are in such a situation, then there will always be a constant internal debate and struggle going on within your mind about the job you are doing and what you are doing there.

As an overqualified employee, you keep asking yourself questions like “what am I doing with my whole life? What am I doing in this place?” You even begin to question your own identity! You make excuses by saying that you are in your current job only for the money, or that it is only a temporary situation and you are out looking for something better.

However, the reasons for which you are working and the fact that you are overqualified cannot be trivialized. Keep in mind that these things happen all the time and you have to do whatever you can to make ends meet. So, how do you handle this “overqualified” situation that can make you feel like you’ve been hit?

Ways to Cope with Being Overqualified

1. Discuss this with your boss – You don’t have to be a schmuck to do this. So, don’t be shy about letting your boss know about your professional skills and qualifications. Ask your boss if there are any suitable openings available and inquire about applying internally for job openings within the company.

2. Mentally prepare yourself – Being professionally overqualified would mean that you have to have the right attitude to adjust to any situation. Mentally preparing yourself for this means you will have to accept your position and plan how to deal with it. You have to learn to deal with a lighter paycheck than your other under qualified counterparts, and even with a wounded ego. You could consider trimming your resume and downplaying your qualifications to better suit your present job description. This ability to maintain a positive attitude will go a long way for you and remember that it never hurt anyone to look on the brighter side of life.

3. Find a suitable Job – The good part about being overqualified is that there will always be options available to you. Start an aggressive job search, look at the current job listings, research your preferred industry and contact employment agencies that hire professionals. Work on learning new skills and abilities that might be required. Socialize with people who can give you leads about vacancies and other interesting job openings. Keep your resume updated and make sure all the relevant documents are kept handy.

4. Don’t be afraid to do something different – When life isn’t going as smoothly as you want it to go, it would be easier to get a clearer perspective of what it is that you really want. If you feel that you are more qualified for another professional field, then don’t be afraid to get into something new. Use your qualifications and skills to start a new business, or to do something that’s radically different. It is never too late to start again.

5. View it as a learning experience – There are many lessons that being overqualified can teach you. Apart from learning new job skills, you could also discover that you have certain strengths in other fields that you never even knew you had. Sometimes it takes a lot of hardships before your hidden attributes are revealed. If you just take the time out to view things from a different perspective, you will realize that anything is possible.

Author's Note:
Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com, and maybe I'll feature them in a future article.

About Author

ANNA D. BANKS, GCDF is an adjunct professor at Essex County College, career development and marketing coach, speaker, and author. Anna helps individuals design a game plan for an extraordinary career or business. Since 1996, Anna has helped hundreds of job-seekers, managers, business owners, and sales professionals achieve career success. For more information send an email to Anna@AnnaBanks.com.

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