#CareerAdvice – #JobInterview – How To Answer ‘Are You Overqualified?’ In An #Interview . Great Read!
When you’re searching for a new role, the real question you must answer is if you are “overqualified” or “fully qualified” for a position. If you are overqualified for a position, what that likely means is that you are applying for a step-down position or a position below your education level or your experience.
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As a career coach, I’ve found this is actually fairly common, especially for those who want more of a work-life balance. For example, let’s say that you are a regional sales manager who must put in 70 hours or more a week and travel often. You want more time to spend with family, to get out of management and to get back to an actual sales position where your real passion lies (and avoid working 70 hours a week). This makes perfect sense, right?
Provide transparency about work-life balance.
Where the problem arises is that to an outside hiring manager who is unaware of your desires, they might see this as a step backward for you. If you don’t explain that you are truly looking for more of a work-life balance to the hiring manager, you could be passed over. A hiring manager is likely going to assume that you have been unable to find a position at your current level and are “just settling” for this position. In my experience, they will presume that you will be bored at the position and that you will set off for greener pastures as soon as you find another senior management position.
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The first step to overcoming the problem of being overqualified is to be truthful about your situation and let them know that the job you are currently interviewing for is the job you want and are passionate about. Assure them you are in this for the long haul. Once you do this, you are no longer “overqualified.” You are now “fully qualified” for the position.
Avoid oversimplifying your resume.
You don’t want to oversimplify your credentials or undersell yourself. This is a common interview mistake that often costs one the position. Once you have made it clear that this is the job you really want, you then want to sell your skill sets and show the potential employer what an asset you can be to them with your additional skills and experience.
The next step is to make sure that when you are answering interview questions, you don’t spend the majority of the time talking about yourself. Instead, make sure you are letting the hiring manager know what you can do for them.
Show that you’re there to solve the company’s problems.
The best way to go about this is to try to flesh out the problem the company is currently having (i.e., the reason they are hiring for the position). A company only hires when they have a problem to solve and need someone to help them solve it. So, there is an underlying problem attached to this position.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the interviewer and try to determine what the pain points or problems are that the company is experiencing. Once you figure that out, you can speak directly to how you can help them solve the problem. Doing this will put you in the driver’s seat by showing the hiring manager how bringing you on board could fundamentally shift their situation around.
The other point to be made is that a hiring manager might feel that you are going to be an expensive hire due to your experience. While you need to be prepared to take a potential pay cut from the higher-level job, if you can hit on how you can solve the company’s pain points, you will be worth much more to them. This will give you leverage to negotiate when given a job offer.
Put it all together.
Here is an example of how to answer when you are asked in an interview if you are overqualified for the job:
“While it might appear on paper that I am overqualified, I feel that a better term would be that I am fully qualified. I am currently looking for a position where I won’t have to travel as much and can achieve a quality work-life balance. I can solve your company’s current problem of customer retention by implementing new value programs and customer reward systems. This can be done with proven systems at minimal costs and will result in an increase in revenue on a monthly basis. This is an area I not only have experience in but where I thrive, as customer acquisition and retention is a passion of mine.”
Craft your answer with your own experience, and practice this prior to the interview to ensure that you can deliver your answer confidently. Tip: Do not memorize any interview answers because you don’t want to sound like a robot. Just practice the general format, and get comfortable with it. Let your personality shine through in the interview.
Forbes.com | July 17, 2019
