Overqualified
Encyclopedia
Overqualification is the state of being skilled or educated beyond what is necessary for a job
. There can often be high costs for companies associated with training employees. This could be a problem for professionals applying for a job where they significantly exceed the job requirements because potential employers may feel they are using the position as a stepping stone.
Overqualified candidates may be seen as taking the position temporarily in order to obtain work experience for another position or taking the position temporarily until better employment can be found. Therefore it may be in a company's interest to reject job candidates that significantly exceed their job requirements because they are "overqualified" and not likely to be loyal to a position or company. An example would be an experienced high level manager who is overqualified for a low level management position.
used by employers when they do not want to reveal their true reasons for not hiring an applicant. The term "overqualified" can mask age discrimination, but it can also mask legitimate concerns of an employer, such as uncertainty of your ability to do the job, or concerns that you only want a job on a temporary basis, while you seek for another more desirable position. Being overqualified also often means that a person was asking for too high a salary. "Overqualified" can also be used to describe a resistance to new technologies, or a pompous approach.
In the United States the term "overqualified" has been found by the courts to sometimes be used as a "code word for too old" (i.e.: age discrimination) in the hiring process. Hamm v. New York City Office of theComptroller (D. Ct. NY, March 4, 1998).
and interview
before the employer makes any comments about overqualification. Barbara Moses advises applicants who are described as being overqualified to emphasize their willingness to mentor
younger co-workers, and to focus on what attracts them about the position they are applying to rather than emphasizing their ambition
or desire to be challenged. Being overqualified can be an asset for employers, especially when the breadth of your experience enables you to take on additional responsibilities in ways that benefit the employer.
degree can reflect overspecialization that manifests itself as a lack of perspective; for example, a Ph.D. might not adequately prepare one for careers in development, manufacturing, or technical management.
In the corporate world, some Ph.D. graduates have been criticized as being unable to turn theories into useful strategies, and being unable to work on a team, although Ph.D.s are seen as desirable and even essential in many positions, such as supervisory roles in research, especially Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences.
Even in some college jobs, people can associate negative factors with the Ph.D., including a lack of focus on teaching, overspecialization, and an undesirable set of professional priorities, often focusing on self-promotion. These forces have led both to an increase in some educational institutions hiring candidates without Ph.D.s as well as a focus on the development of other doctoral degrees, such as the D.A. or Doctor of arts
.
Some employers have reservations about hiring people with Ph.D.s in full-time, entry-level positions, but are eager to hire them in temporary positions.
Job (role)
A job is a regular activity performed in exchange for payment. A person usually begins a job by becoming an employee, volunteering, or starting a business. The duration of a job may range from an hour to a lifetime . If a person is trained for a certain type of job, they may have a profession...
. There can often be high costs for companies associated with training employees. This could be a problem for professionals applying for a job where they significantly exceed the job requirements because potential employers may feel they are using the position as a stepping stone.
Overqualified candidates may be seen as taking the position temporarily in order to obtain work experience for another position or taking the position temporarily until better employment can be found. Therefore it may be in a company's interest to reject job candidates that significantly exceed their job requirements because they are "overqualified" and not likely to be loyal to a position or company. An example would be an experienced high level manager who is overqualified for a low level management position.
As a euphemism
The concept of overqualification is often a euphemismEuphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
used by employers when they do not want to reveal their true reasons for not hiring an applicant. The term "overqualified" can mask age discrimination, but it can also mask legitimate concerns of an employer, such as uncertainty of your ability to do the job, or concerns that you only want a job on a temporary basis, while you seek for another more desirable position. Being overqualified also often means that a person was asking for too high a salary. "Overqualified" can also be used to describe a resistance to new technologies, or a pompous approach.
In the United States the term "overqualified" has been found by the courts to sometimes be used as a "code word for too old" (i.e.: age discrimination) in the hiring process. Hamm v. New York City Office of theComptroller (D. Ct. NY, March 4, 1998).
Responses to being described as overqualified
Noluthando Crockett-Ntonga recommends that job applicants address potential concerns such as salary requirements in a cover letterCover letter
A cover letter, covering letter, motivation letter, motivational letter or a letter of motivation is a letter of introduction attached to, or accompanying another document such as a résumé or curriculum vitae.- For employment :...
and interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
before the employer makes any comments about overqualification. Barbara Moses advises applicants who are described as being overqualified to emphasize their willingness to mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
younger co-workers, and to focus on what attracts them about the position they are applying to rather than emphasizing their ambition
Ambition
Ambition is the desire for personal achievement. It provides the motivation and determination necessary to achieve a particular end or condition. Ambitious people are characterised by their strong desire for attainment, power, or superiority...
or desire to be challenged. Being overqualified can be an asset for employers, especially when the breadth of your experience enables you to take on additional responsibilities in ways that benefit the employer.
The Ph.D. Degree
The Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree can reflect overspecialization that manifests itself as a lack of perspective; for example, a Ph.D. might not adequately prepare one for careers in development, manufacturing, or technical management.
In the corporate world, some Ph.D. graduates have been criticized as being unable to turn theories into useful strategies, and being unable to work on a team, although Ph.D.s are seen as desirable and even essential in many positions, such as supervisory roles in research, especially Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences.
Even in some college jobs, people can associate negative factors with the Ph.D., including a lack of focus on teaching, overspecialization, and an undesirable set of professional priorities, often focusing on self-promotion. These forces have led both to an increase in some educational institutions hiring candidates without Ph.D.s as well as a focus on the development of other doctoral degrees, such as the D.A. or Doctor of arts
Doctor of Arts
The Doctor of Arts is a discipline-based terminal doctoral degree that was originally conceived and designed to be an alternative to the traditional research-based Doctor of Philosophy and the education-based Doctor of Education . Like other doctorates, the D.A. is an academic degree of the...
.
Some employers have reservations about hiring people with Ph.D.s in full-time, entry-level positions, but are eager to hire them in temporary positions.