ARTICLES
Good News for the Overqualified
Have you gotten a college degree only to find that potential employers think you are overqualified for the jobs you are applying for?
You are not alone. Unfortunately, there is an epidemic of people who are overqualified in a variety of industries throughout the United States. Why is this happening? Being overqualified can happen for many reasons.
1.
Industries change its workforce needs in response to changes in technology. The media is one industry, in particular, that has changed drastically in response to the advent of the Internet. Print journalism jobs have folded substantially, but there are new writing opportunities in marketing and social media.
Industries change its workforce needs in response to changes in technology. The media is one industry, in particular, that has changed drastically in response to the advent of the Internet. Print journalism jobs have folded substantially, but there are new writing opportunities in marketing and social media.2.College curriculum often struggles to keep up with changes in different industries, particularly those that are heavily influenced by technology advancements. Your schooling may have had an emphasis in a particular element of your industry such as math theory that may give you a broader skill set than applicants whose education focused instead on the day-to-day, practical elements of your field.
College curriculum often struggles to keep up with changes in different industries, particularly those that are heavily influenced by technology advancements. Your schooling may have had an emphasis in a particular element of your industry such as math theory that may give you a broader skill set than applicants whose education focused instead on the day-to-day, practical elements of your field.3.If you are still in college or are planning to go back to college, be sure to line up an internship with a company that will give you a lot of exposure to your industry. Doing so will give you an idea of what skills you will need and what you can expect to do on a day-to-day basis. You may find that your internship will make you aware of additional helpful coursework, either in your major or outside of your major, which will provide you with valuable skill sets. For example, business marketing majors who will work primarily with online media can really benefit from having web design skills. Take advantage of such an opportunity while you are still in school.
If you are still in college or are planning to go back to college, be sure to line up an internship with a company that will give you a lot of exposure to your industry. Doing so will give you an idea of what skills you will need and what you can expect to do on a day-to-day basis. You may find that your internship will make you aware of additional helpful coursework, either in your major or outside of your major, which will provide you with valuable skill sets. For example, business marketing majors who will work primarily with online media can really benefit from having web design skills. Take advantage of such an opportunity while you are still in school.4.Big businesses such as those in the finance or telecommunications industries, like to hire employees straight out of college and let them grow with the company. If you are seeking to make a career shift into another field mid-career, you will be more successful in your job search to look for small- to mid-sized businesses. Find companies with positions in the field in which you seek to transfer that will benefit from the skills you gained in your previous career.
Big businesses such as those in the finance or telecommunications industries, like to hire employees straight out of college and let them grow with the company. If you are seeking to make a career shift into another field mid-career, you will be more successful in your job search to look for small- to mid-sized businesses. Find companies with positions in the field in which you seek to transfer that will benefit from the skills you gained in your previous career.5.You may have pursued a master’s degree with the desire to become more qualified for positions in your industry, only to discover that you have become overqualified for entry-level jobs. Choose a master’s program cautiously. Be aware of the particular job requirements for the types of positions you are seeking. Consider entering the workforce after your undergrad and waiting a few years before pursuing additional education. If you do pursue a master’s degree, you should make sure you can enter the workforce immediately after graduation either with the company in which you intern or another company in which you have networked.
You may have pursued a master’s degree with the desire to become more qualified for positions in your industry, only to discover that you have become overqualified for entry-level jobs. Choose a master’s program cautiously. Be aware of the particular job requirements for the types of positions you are seeking. Consider entering the workforce after your undergrad and waiting a few years before pursuing additional education. If you do pursue a master’s degree, you should make sure you can enter the workforce immediately after graduation either with the company in which you intern or another company in which you have networked.6.Retail stores don’t want to hire people with college degrees who just want to make ends meet until something better comes along. The stores know they will lose money by training someone who will only work for a short term; stores also believe that such people won’t fit into their company culture.
Retail stores don’t want to hire people with college degrees who just want to make ends meet until something better comes along. The stores know they will lose money by training someone who will only work for a short term; stores also believe that such people won’t fit into their company culture. Many of you need to make ends meet while you are out of work. Small- to medium-sized companies are more likely to hire you if you have unique circumstances. Consider finding a company within your industry for which you can do contractual work while you continue to seek a full-time position. Doing so will allow you to continue doing work that will fit on your resume in the meantime.
Unfortunately, if you find that potential employers think you are overqualified for the positions you are seeking, they are probably right. Even though you are a hard worker and know you can do the work required for a part-time retail job you seek to make ends meet More and more, companies want to hire people only for the position for which they have posted. Only a few hires get job advancements in a year or two after being hired. You will find that the better fit you are for the posted position, the more likely you will be a fit for that company in the foreseeable future.
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© 2012 by Emily Sanderson
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