Maybe you should apply for higher level jobs. I know that it may seem obvious, but maybe you ARE underestimating yourself.

You misunderstood my comments. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a job (or salary) “beneath you” if you have to and then splitting for the next best thing. But when a recruiter/manager asks if that’s your game plan, are you supposed to admit it? If not, how do you cover it up? (That’s what I was getting at.)

I’ve read several articles/blog posts in the last several months that have said essentially the same thing.

Which is: conventional wisdom USED to be that you’d hire an engaging candidate who was 85-90% there and let them stretch into the role.

But the new CW in this economy? Callbacks and interviews for “stretchers” aren’t happening – because recruiters ARE getting 100%, on-the-nose candidates in this market.

If your resume says “I’m a Master of the Universe who turns around failing businesses, but the job to which you’re applying is Master of the School Bus, who turns around yellow vehicles, you’ve got some splainin’ to do. That’s neither harsh nor kind. It’s advice on how to work the system, which I thought this person was seeking. This economy sucks. Looking for a job sucks. Telling people “no” all day sucks. Being told “no” all day sucks. I’m just suggesting that a frustrated overqualified candidate consider a change in approach if the method currently followed ain’t workin’. I mean, you keep pressing the “diet Coke button” 10,000 times you may eventually get a Spite to come out of the machine, but that happening has more to do with a screw up from the Coke machine person than it does with your persistence.

Writing a resume is hard. Writing a new resume every time you apply for a job is harder. But there’s LOTS of people distributing resumes right now. Read the job description and make sure YOUR resume says “this is THE candidate for this job.” Not, “here’s a freelance marketing person who’s slumming to file last year’s vendor invoices for us.” There’s nothing wrong with freelance marketing person who wants the security of a steady pay check. And there’s nothing wrong with taking a job because you need the scratch and don’t plan to stay with that employer any longer than is absolutely necessary. I’m not weighing in on the inherit rightness or wrongness of position of the employer or employee these types of transactions. I’m weighing in on the result not being what the writer is hoping for, my assessment for why I think he may be getting that result, and a suggestion for producing a different outcome. Ne C’est Pas?

@econopete Holy shit, thank you. Perfect message for all of us, including me.

I have a degree in Economics from a “good school.” I volunteered for a year in one of Oakland’s poorest districts, living off of $213 a week. Anyone with a GED could work for more than that there, but my contract stipulated that I could not work a second job so we can understand what it’s like to be “economically disadvantaged”. But the experience would be worth it, I thought.

After a year of that, I came home and worked a retail job for $8.15 an hour. I got employee of the month for the 3rd month I was there. But don’t I seem a little overqualified for that after recruiting, training and managing volunteers to complete people’s taxes? Or since I myself completed about 50 tax returns? Or getting $21k in grants, every single penny I applied for? Or be put in situations where you have to explain to hysterical people who work multiple jobs that they have to pay $1000 in taxes and penalties because they didn’t understand that you need to withhold more if you make more money and they need to talk to HR to file new W-4’s? I was interviewed at two places other than my retail job: Stanford University, and MetLife. The people at both that interviewed me were extremely kind, generous, and thorough. They got back to me within days, and even called me when they let me know I got rejected. (The Stanford position was an admin assistant.)

I stuck my retail job out for over a year until I took a chance at grad school (Univ. of Rochester) because there was no way up. School died due to money. Right now I’m freelancing making *less* than I did at my retail job, without benefits because I need SOMETHING to show that I’m driven, dedicated, and have an IQ above 75. (88th percentile if you were wondering. Yes, actually, I was disappointed, but not surprised.) It doesn’t seem to matter what I apply for, or the tactics I use: I just don’t have the networks. I’ve been at it for over two years. THAT’S why I’m happy to take a job as a teller so that a few years down the road I can become a Service Rep or a manager. Or I’ll take a job as an admin assistant at my local colleges, plus discounted/free classes.

So, am I overqualified? HELL YEAH I’M OVERQUALIFIED. HELL YEAH I NEED SOME MONEY. HIRE ME, ANYWAY. YOU CAN’T LOSE. I’M AWESOME.

Ahem. Sorry. I had a sudden spasm.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. I love you all. Thanks for listening!