Wednesday, May 22 - "Overqualified?!"

Author

Adam Phillips
May 22, 2024

Good morning!

Here’s what’s on the JD for today:

“My path has not been determined. I shall have more experience and pass many more milestones.”

- Agnetha Faltskog

IN HIRING

  • Known for their delicious chocolate bar, the company owns 50+ brands across three verticals: Pet Care, Snacks, and Food & Nutrition.

  • With a whopping 6k roles outstanding, there are roles in every department including Product, Strategy, Marketing, Operations, and something called Director of Pathology🤷‍♂️.

  • I’ve had clients land roles here before and I can say they provide a very welcoming interview experience and are open to sponsoring candidates across all levels of seniority.

Click here for the company’s career page

TODAY’S QUESTION

Guy asks, “Companies won’t accept me for senior positions but say I’m overqualified for entry level roles. What should I do?”

First off, this is all too common and hiring managers believe they’re doing it “for you”… Collectively, zero applicants have ever thanked them for it.

This is most common when you lack either:

  1. Direct, applicable industry experience

  2. Work experience in the local geography

  • If you don’t have direct industry experience, you’ll need to explain why you have 10+ years of experience but are applying to a junior role. This is best done with a simple cover letter explaining your journey and how this is the next logical step.

  • If you have work experience but it’s not local (even though the company may operate internationally🤦‍♂️), I recommend looking for companies where they have an international workforce and relying more heavily on referrals who can help tell your story to HR.

  • If all else fails, try working at a start-up where your past experience is less important. You can use specific job boards like this one to narrow down your search.

Conclusion:

If you’re getting the painful feedback that you’re over-qualified for the roles you’re applying to, aim for all three: cover letters and referrals to get your story told and start-ups for jobs that care less.

Get your question answered by replying to this email (or just say hi😊).