Being overqualified is a descriptive adjective that applies to everyone’s life at one point or another. Some experience this day to day in their jobs, while others have occasionally experienced this feeling when asked to do a task out of their normal routines. While there are varying degrees of seriousness in situations of being overqualified, the biggest difference is how people react to the feeling.

Overqualification is very subjective because, in many cases, these feelings depend on one’s perspective of the necessary qualifications of the task at hand. There are also a lot of instances of skills not transferring equally across sectors and industries. For instance, you might have been a CFO of a Fortune 500 company. If you decided to make a change and pursue ballet dancing, you will still start in the junior class, likely with children, because your previous high position gave you no transferable skills for your new activity.

There are other times in your life when you will be objectively overqualified for your job. This is a trickier situation. If you really love your work, then you are more easily able to get past the bad feelings associated with overqualification. If you don’t love your job or feel stuck in a job in which you are overqualified, it is really easy to become bitter and angry about your work.

One way to avoid the second scenario above is to learn how to market yourself. When you are on the hunt for a new job, school, etc, it is really important to market yourself in a way that shows your abilities and qualifications. Your resume/website/CV or whatever document or platform you use on applications is the best way to communicate your level of qualification to future employers. If you don’t thoroughly describe your skills and abilities, you might end up in a position for which you are overqualified. Take the time to really put effort into your documents, have someone review your resume, and conduct practice interviews to prepare yourself to put your best foot forward when you get an interview. These precautionary steps can help you avoid situations in which you are overqualified.

-          Bria