Dec 152009
Hubby was talking on skype with some friends and didn’t know in the USA you can be overqualified. This was interesting as he has never encountered this, in Canada. It’s a term we often hear in movies, and didn’t think was a real problem.
“Overqualified” is a real problem here. Your friends weren’t kidding. The employers play the “job description” thing themselves, too. They simply refuse to hire anyone who hasn’t had a lot of experience in the particular job before. Yet, many jobs could easily be learned by any intelligent person who applied himself. And for many of the jobs there is no specific training; anyone would have to learn on the job. Things like character and determination just don’t count for much. When my husband was job-hunting several years ago, he was turned down for many jobs that he certainly could have done – and done well. But he was “overqualified.”
Employers are also troubled by many laws against discrimination in hiring practices. The U.S. has way to many laws and regulations. Businesses literally break many of them every day just to keep others. True! So I think they use some generic excuses for not hiring some people. It’s crazy.
From the employers viewpoint, I think they are afraid that if they hire someone who has a long resume, that person will leave for a better job as soon as one becomes available. In many cases I’m sure that is the case. Many employers don’t do much to inspire employee loyalty, either. . . . And some people are afraid to take “poor” jobs because they will reflect badly on their resumes later. . . . . Lying on a resume is bad. Even if you can do the job, it still gets you fired. Many applicants tailor their resumes to suit the job they are applying for so they do not look overqualified. It’s okay to leave something off if the resume is an introduction, but if you have to give a full resume and leave something off, that can be a problem, too.
Enjoy your perspectives from Canada. God bless you and your family this Christmas season!
Liz wrote:
We were really surprised and saddened to hear about that. In our area it seems more likely to not get a job, because your not qualified enough.