Being overqualified

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After months of painstakingly applying for full-time work, and not getting anywhere, I started applying for part-time jobs, and I still get nowhere. I have a bachelor's degree and nearly 5 years of experience in my field, yet even fast-food places and department stores don't hire me.

Is it possible to be rejected for being "overqualified"?

Perhaps, but being an Aspie, they may decide right off the bat you don't have the people skills for dealing with customers.

My wife suggests going to the industrial part of town and knocking on doors. Perhaps a job tending machines. Or handling mail. Data entry might be good if you are fast and accurate.

Last edited by BTDT on 27 Mar 2011, 6:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Yup, I often get turned down for being overqualified.
Perhaps leave your qualifications off your CV for some jobs?

I have at least five different resumes (which includes my CV).

I choose the resume I will submit depending on what particular skills they're looking for - mind you, they're all correct resumes, but one lists clerical jobs specifically, another lists teaching and performing/workshops jobs, etc etc etc. Sometimes I list my education first, sometimes I list it last, depending on what they're focusing on.

On my last job where I actually managed the front office and was the first person who anyone would speak to when they entered our building, "my position was terminated through no fault of my own" (this was the line I was told by HR to use) because I was too often perceived as being rude, abrupt, and even aggressive - when I was being none of these things. It also didn't help that my boss was an idiot who had no managerial experience whatsoever, but that's another story.

Even though it had been on my mind for years, that's what finally prompted me to initiate my Asperger's evaluation (which is a long, slow process because I'm going to a university service who does them for free). Meanwhile, I had to find another job and I was tired of dealing with BS office politics....

....so I wrote one of the most honest cover letters of my life in which I revealed that I was pursuing my own Asperger's diagnosis and also in which I talked about how much I just didn't understand office politics (how I was there to do my job and do it well and figure out how to do it better everyday)...

....and applied to work at one of the Autistic Day Centers for severely autistic adults who need constant supervision. (I figured they're one of the few places who would understand how my expressions and actions could be misinterpreted.)

It worked! They hired me! I am so happy and my work makes sense to me - it's not about some stupid corporation's bottom line, it's about someone's quality of LIFE!

In your city, where might you fit best? What do you have to offer them? What do they have to offer you? Meanwhile, tailor your resume to suit their position - it will help. Beyond that, how are the Temporary Agencies in your town? Would they have any assignments for you? One of my best assignments was in a law firm in their copy/mail room - I spent all day copying legal documents and briefs and sorting mail. Don't give up!!

You can definitely be turned down for being overqualified. I have a master's degree (although little experience in my field) and tried to get a job at K-Mart....they wouldn't hire me even though I worked there in high school! I tried to get a job at Books-A-Million and they wouldn't take me, but they did hire someone with only a GED!

Right now, I'm trying to get a job at a call center and the only reason they're even considering someone who's so overqualified is because vocational rehab is trying to get it on my behalf.

Being overqualified is pretty much par for the course for some Aspergians. I have a BA in English and graduated in the Honors program with a 4.0 gpa... However, there aren't too many jobs that list taking exams and writing papers as the primary duties, so while I excel at academics, I suck royally in most paid positions. But it's not that I have been fired or even turned down for most of the positions for which I am qualified. I just don't apply for them to begin with.

I already know that I have poor poeple skills, have a low frustraiton level, and I just about have a nervous breakdown when I am in envorionments without a set routine... So, I don't even bother with anything managerial (tried that once and I was moserable) or that involves sales or service. I'd be happiest just sweeping floors for a living or running a machine if it paid enough and allowed me to focus on the things I love in my freetime... but I can't get jobs like that because I'm overqualified!

Luckily, where I am working now, I have a good boss who gives me a lot of freedom with when and how I work, so I am handling it quite well, but I have always had positions below my capability level.

Last edited by dyingofpoetry on 28 Mar 2011, 7:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

Tim, try temping agencies (assuming you have not already done so). Simply explain to the agency that you have been looking for work in your field, and you are seeking temporary/ short-term work through them while you continue to look for permanent work in your field. This is common enough that they should be okay with it. I did this several years ago, and it worked out all right (although for some strange reason, the first couple of agencies I approached did not want to deal with me ). It is possible that one of those temporary assignments will later turn into a permanent position.

Yes they can do that. Places like fast food will not hire you if you have a college degree. That's why so many people are unemployed these days because they are over qualified and they can't get another job in their profession. If you want, you can sign up for SSI and it be some money than none. But the only hard part is to get approved and lot of people get denied the first time.

I do the same thing. When I was applying for car mechanic jobs, I left off the Degree in Aviation Maintenance. I started doing that after a hiring manager straight-up told me I was overqualified and that he knew I'd be out the door as soon as the economy improved (he was right BTW).

Have you tried editorial or media work? A bachelors in english is not going to get you very far. Most jobs that take in liberal arts types these days ask for masters or higher. You might want to look into getting a MLIS or a subject specific masters that is not english. A bachelors in english is not worth much these days, since unlike social science people, who can tap into the market for analyst and data fields, there is not much demand outside of being a writer for groupon (hint, they hire english majors).

I am of the opinion that the problem with many people is the inflexibility to move and not quite grasping what jobs actually match thier skillset. If you are in a job market which has very few employment prospects, such as michigan or florida, you should look into moving. Also it is good to know the position descriptions that match. For example I know my skillset well enough that I can look into any job that involves research analysis, policy analysis, requirements analysis, data analysis, records management analysis, archivist, public policy, regulatory policy, strategic planning and to some extent communications (I know ironic). Did I mention I also have a law degree. It is recognizing what jobs match your particular skillset, since it is not always obvious with the title of the job.

I think the other problem is that people do not know how to tailor thier resume or cover letter for a specific job. Sometimes keeping things out of it is as important as what is in it.

The reality is this is one big game when it gets down to it. There is a thin line between recruiters lining up for you and never hearing a word from anybody.

I have a master's in a social science and it's not doing me a lick of good. Been looking for work all over the country (I'm definitely willing to relocate) for over a year now.

Word of advice. Move to DC. The very fact you have a master's of social science and do not already live here is part of the problem. Many of the federal contractors and recruiters only look locally in DC for positions, DCjobs and Idealist has more jobs than moster or career builder. You may be willing to relocate, but are you really in the right location to begin with. I know the traditional advice is not to move until you have a job, but I will tell you, you are much more likely to find a job if you are in the right area to begin with.
Secondly, what type of jobs are you looking for. Much of this depends on context and knowing position descriptions. Are you tailoring your cover letter and resume?

I can go on, but you saying you have been looking for work for over a year with a Masters in Social Science does not tell me where you are living and looking. A master's in social science is not worth much outside of the DC area. Most of the jobs appropriate for your background are in DC.

The jobs though appropriate for your degree will not say "master's of social science". They will have position descriptions like quantitative data analyst, research analyst, and I can go on and on. You are probably not doing the right things to tailor your cover letter either.

I can go on, but a Master's in Social Science is not dead end in DC, in this cas you are probably not tailoring your job search or looking in the right places. I will PM you some ideas.

I've applied for jobs in D.C. (and I've used idealist) but you're right that I'm not physically there. And you're not the first person to tell me it's easier if you are there. I don't know....it's hard for an Aspy to just move somewhere without a job first

One job in D.C. that I had two phone interviews for wasn't going to start until June anyway, but I still didn't get it. So at the very least, I can't blame that one on not physically being there.

Ironically, the area I do live in has a shedload of government contractors (there's military and NASA), but they don't want me, so I am a little curious why contractors in D.C. would be different.

I appreciate the advice and I'm not at all saying you're wrong....I'm just pontificating here

Yes, you can definitely be turned down for being overqualified. It's happened to me, but the most frustrating thing of all was that nobody seemed to be able to explain what the word actually meant. It turns out that if you have a good qualification and are applying for something like a shop assistant, they think that you will leave the job in approximately, or less than, a year. If that happens, then essentially it's bad news for them because they've spent all that time and money training you, and now have to do it all again with someone new before they've made a return on their earlier investment. This sucked for me, because at the time I'd have been grateful for almost any job, and I had nearly 3 years' experience in a supermarket, so you'd think it would be easy to get a low-level job. Temping agencies are one way to solve the problem, but you may have to accept a job you don't want in order to have a job at all. Also, the one time I did use a temping agency, they had only one job that fitted my CV: scanning barcodes on folders in a registry. Not fun. Anyway, good luck, and hopefully you'll find a job that you'll like and not be overqualified for!

I live in DC, and I agree you could probably get a good job here. Contractors in general probably don't want social sciences degree. Most are for the military or sciences, and are looking for different skill sets. What you probably would be good in are non-profit jobs and government agencies. Government agencies are not hiring at the moment, but I doubt that will be the case forever.
If you want to stay closer to home, I think state capitols are a good bet for the same reasons. Those jobs are contracting at the moment, but again, I doubt that will be the case forever.
If you are on the West Coast, there are tons of non-profits in the Bay Area. I wouldn't suggest moving there if you are out East, but it might be worth a try if you are in that half of the country.

It reminds me of what one of my teachers said after I scored sky-high in all areas on my military aptitude test...yet my military aptitude was extremely low.

"They need a handful of 4 star generals. They need hordes and hordes of passably-competent grunts who will do as they're told."

I think having a degree during this recession (in this economic system?) is similar.