How Do I Handle Being Over-Qualified for My Job Objective on My Resume?

Many people are applying for jobs for which they are over-qualified. Some can't find work in their professions and are forced to look at lower-paying jobs to make ends meet. Others are easing into retirement and want jobs with less responsibility than what they held in their active careers. Still others are being forced out of retirement into whatever jobs they can find (not necessarily in their earlier professions) in order to support themselves.

So, how do you handle being over-qualified on a resume? Here are some tips: Continue reading...

Under-Employed? Here's the Perfect Resume Format

You may be one of the many people who are under-employed -- working at a job that's beneath your skill level. To get out of this situation, you need a resume format that says... Continue reading

Catch a "Taxi" Job for the Holiday Season and Beyond

In this recession it could take many months for you to get a dream job. During that time you may run low on cash and need to find a job – any job — just to make ends meet. This type of work is called a "taxi" job, intended to carry you over until you get a job that furthers your career. The holiday season is a good time to look for such a temporary job.

Here's an example of how a taxi job worked for one job seeker:

Mark was a Vice President in a major high-tech firm until he got laid off unexpectedly near the beginning the recession. He wanted to stay in the high-tech industry but jobs were scarce, and he wasn't able to find a new job quickly.

To make ends meet, he took a "taxi" job as a sales associate at a high-end men's clothing store. After several months of job searching (while working his taxi job), he finally landed a VP position in a high-tech company.

Taxi jobs come in various flavors.

- Full- or part-time job.
- Contractual position with or without a specified ending date.
- Temporary job gained through a temporary employment agency.
- Seasonal job, such as a retail sales position during the holiday season.

Your resume for a taxi job will likely look nothing like the resume you use for your career goal. It should focus on skills for the taxi job and highlight experience that's related to that type of work. You may even delete information that makes you look over-qualified or that's not relevant to your taxi job.

More on short-term jobs:
10 Companies Hiring for the Holidays
Turn Holiday Job into Permanent Employment
Current Job Not Relevant to Job Objective

Ask for What You Want on Resume

Question
I have been an executive assistant for over 25 years with exceptional support skills. I've gained experience in administrative staff management for two offices and HR administration. I realize I could "dumb down" my resume, but then I'd be applying for something that Continue reading...

How to Handle Being Over-Qualified on Resume for a Career Change

Question
I was laid off in September from my job of seven years as a news editor, a path I am not interested in continuing. I have an Associate of Arts degree in graphic design, however I don't want to seek a job in that field as it's very competitive and prone to layoffs at this time.

I see this as an opportunity to start a path to a new career. How can I structure my resume for an internship or entry-level job in a new career field without looking over-qualified?

Answer
First, you need to decide what new career you want to pursue. Once you know that, you'll be ready to write your resume. For the sake of this answer, let's say you want to become a political lobbyist for an environmental group. For that objective, I suggest you create a combination resume.

In your job objective statement, do not use the term "entry-level;" simply say "A position." (For example: A position in environmental advocacy.) Doing this will help decrease the disparity between the elevated job title you held most recently and the new one you seek.

In your Summary of Qualifications section, emphasize the transferable skills you bring to the new position. For example:

• Eager to bring my writing and media relations skills to the political arena as an environmental advocate.
  

Under your most recent job title (News Editor) in the body of your combination resume, create two headings that support your job objective (for example: Communications and Environmental Issues). Under each of those headings, write achievement statements that are relevant to your job objective. These statements should not speak about management or leadership, as you don't expect to land a management job in your new career. Instead, refer to your experiences as being part of a team, or speak about projects you did independently. In other words, instead of:

• Managed a team of eight editors and four production staff to publish daily newspaper with circulation of 200,000.

Write something less management-like and more relevant to your new job, for example:

• As news team member, wrote pieces on wide range to topics including rain forests, glacier meltdowns, and carbon emissions.

Under Education, mention your AA degree, and any classwork that's particularly relevant to your job objective.

Good luck with your career shift!

Your Resume is Not a Confessional

Over-Qualified for Non-Management Job

Question
I have been off work for approximately one year to take care of personal matters. I would like to return to the workforce, but I am over-qualified for the type of positions I would like to apply for.

I was previously in a management position in the hospitality sector, but now I would just like to have a position with no management responsibilities, staying within the same industry.

How do I tone down my resume, so that I will have a chance to have an interview?

Your advice would be greatly appreciated. -- Kathy

Answer
by Marc Effron, VP, Talent Management, Avon Products

Kathy, the skills you gained in the management role will certainly make you an outstanding non-management employee. Convincing potential employers of that is going to be a hurdle, but “toning down” your resume is probably not the right direction. I’d suggest a few steps:

1. Emphasize in your resume the skills that will be valued in this new role. If it’s a role with customer contact, provide examples of your customer service capabilities, etc.

2. Have a compelling story and be able to tell it perfectly. The obvious fear of a potential employer is that, while you say you want a non-management role, you might not be happy once you’re in that role. Be able to explain to the employer in one minute, in a clear, compelling, positive way, why a non-management role is perfect for you. Emphasize what interests you about the new role without being negative about the old role (e.g., “I really value more face-to-face time with the customer,” not, “I hated doing all that paperwork.”)

3. Apply in person, if possible. Once you have your compelling story and your new resume, try to get informational interviews with potential employers so you can tell your story in person. If this isn’t possible, put your compelling story into a cover letter with an introduction that acknowledges the step you’re taking (e.g. “When you first read my resume, you might wonder why I’m applying for this job after having been in a management role. I’m interested in this job because . . .”).

I hope that helps. Best of luck in your job search!

Susan Ireland’s Two Cents
Kathy, consider joining LinkedIn where you can meet colleagues from your industry. Because LinkedIn is a network of trusted professionals, you can be honest about your reasons for wanting to “downsize” the amount of responsibility you have in your next job; and hopefully get some good support. It’s also possible that through LinkedIn’s Jobs section, you’ll find a hiring manager with whom you are directly or indirectly connected, and therefore have a chance of applying in person, as Marc mentioned above. Best of luck with your transition back into the workforce!

Job Lounger, do you have a question? Email it to me and I’ll post your question and an expert’s answer here in The Job Lounge.