Changing Overqualified To Fully Qualified On A Resume
It's usually never good to be labeled under any circumstance
, but it can be downright terrifying when you are applying for a job and employers keep telling you that you are overqualified. If you keep hearing this over and over again, it's a sure sign your resume needs to be revamped. The best way to overcome the label is to incorporate some changes that turn an employer's attention to how your competencies and experience can immediately bring benefits to the company.
Use Functional Rather Than Chronological Organization
If you want to make yourself look old on paper then go ahead and list every job you have held over the last decades. An employer will get bogged down in following the chronological progress of your career and will soon realize you have too much experience for the position.
Instead, you should organize your resume by job function. For example, if the job requires the ability to lead a project team, then group your past job activities that match this requirement in one section. This one re-organization of information can help you show an employer how your past experience perfectly fits the job for which you are applying.
Only List Recent Positions
If you want to list the positions on your resume that you have held instead of using the functional organization then only go back the last ten to fifteen years. Any jobs older than that can be summarized in a separate paragraph if you think it is necessary.
Prove You Have Stayed Current in Relevant Areas
People with lots of experience are also often viewed as anachronisms. You are not a dinosaur, but you have to make that perfectly clear on your resume. You should include activities, accomplishments and training on your resume that proves you are current in relevant areas. For example, if the job requires familiarity with current office technologies then you need to be sure to include proof you meet this qualification.
Focus the Resume on Your Strengths
The purpose of a resume is to show a potential employer that your qualifications can benefit the organization. A resume should be focused on the job you are targeting. The best approach is to concentrate on selling your strengths as something that can enhance the job. Describe your strengths and back them up with recent job experiences relevant to the job you seek.
In other words, only include the information on your resume that is important to the job you are seeking.
Make Sure Your Resume Follows Current Practices
People who have been in the workforce for many years sometimes fail to stay current in new trends. Technology has changed a lot of practices once considered standard and the massive amount of information available today has led to employers wanted less and not more. For example, at one time biographical information was placed on a resume but that is not the case anymore.
Employers will notice even small signs that you are stuck in the past and have not made an effort to stay current with personnel trends. So be careful you don't fall into that trap.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Sometimes people simply want to downgrade their job for personal reasons. Perhaps they want more time with family or would like to get out of a stressful situation. In some cases, people decide it is now or never when it comes to pursuing a certain type of work or career.
Whatever reason you may have for making a job change, the best policy is to be honest with a potential employer. But you also want to explain your reasons in a way that once again promotes your strengths. For example, perhaps you are making a career change because you are bored with your current career path. You would explain on your resume that you are pursuing a career change because you believe your particular strengths can be utilized better in a different industry giving you a chance to grow professionally.
It can be disheartening to be told you are overqualified. The best approach to take when tackling this issue is to overcome the perception right up front - on your resume. When you interview, you can then show your vitality and enthusiasm for the job. You are not overqualified. You are fully qualified!
by: EeLynn Lee
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