Readers:
Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor.
Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column,
and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.
If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could
provide valuable assistance with, please
feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis.
Douglas writes:
I don’t think I’ve seen this issue in your column before. I’ve been in the
same career -- banking -- for about 10 years now. I am looking for a
new job but find that the response I get from many of the employers is
either none or that I am overqualified. I love what I do, so why should I
change? What should I do?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
There’s a dirty little secret in job-hunting, and if you’re a job-seeker with
several years of experience -- or worse, in middle management -- you may
have been exposed to it as Douglas has. What is it? It’s the label hiring
managers put on mid-career job-seekers who appear to have one of
three flaws: too many years of experience, too much education, and/or
too highly paid in current or previous job. Yes, it’s the label many
job-seekers fear: being overqualified. Overqualified is code for will not
fit the current position - and be forewarned that it is a difficult label to
overcome.
What can you do to overcome this unfair label? Unlike other job-hunting
problems or negatives, if you feel you are going to be labeled as
overqualified, you must be proactive. You will probably need to develop
an entirely new job-search strategy- - changing the way you write your
resumes and cover letters as well as how you sell yourself in job interviews.
Here are just some of the tactics you’ll need to use in implementing this
strategy:
Let your network speak for you. Nothing you could say about
yourself is stronger than a recommendation from someone who knows
you and can recommend you. The ideal scenario is for you to use your
network to find someone within the organization and let that person
make the first pitch for you.
Focus more on skills and accomplishments than job titles. Use
the employer’s own words -- from the job description -- to show how your
skills match perfectly while at the same time downplaying skills not
required for this job.
Take salary off the table. Make it clear from the beginning that you
are completely flexible about salary -- and that your previous salary is
of no relevance to your current job-search.
Reveal financial advantages of hiring you. If salary is going to be
a concern, use specific examples from your past experiences to show
how you increased revenue generation and/or cut costs/realized
increased savings.
Emphasize teamwork and personality. Demonstrate that you are
a team player -- that the success of the team is more important than
any of the individual team members.
Shalynn writes:
I am in the eighth grade and I am wondering about college. I would like
to be an engineer. I am wondering if you know the preparations and
courses I should take while I am in college.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I think it is fantastic that at such an early age you are thinking about
your future and about possible careers. And engineering is a great field.
What interests you about engineering -- and how much do you know
about careers in engineering?
You are in a great position to learn more about the field while building a
big support base if you follow some of my advice. I assume that you
must know at least one person who is an engineer. If so, start there.
If not, then ask your parents, friends, and teachers if they know someone
in the engineering field. Once you have identified at least one person
who works as an engineer, approach him/her professionally and ask
for an informational interview -- and perhaps a chance to also do a job
shadowing. If you have great rapport with this person, you could
consider asking him/her for names of other people in the engineering
field that might also be willing to meet with you. Before you know it,
you will have a wealth of information about all types of engineers
(and there are aeronautical, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial,
mechanical, nuclear, petroleum, as well as others) -- and a great
network to get advice about colleges, internships, and jobs.
Wait! One more thing. As I advise all my younger students, do
not panic if in the next four years before you even get to college if
your interests change dramatically. There are so many jobs and
careers out there -- and there will be even more in the eight years
or so before you finish college and are ready to start yours -- so learn
as much as you can about engineering, but be prepared to be flexible
and open to other options.
Tasha writes:
I have a question. I was fired 06/03 but I don't use my last employer on
my resume so there's a huge gap of employment and I don't know what
to put on applications for reason for leaving when really I was fired for a
misunderstanding without opening a can of worms with an interviewer.
Example of gap: 11-2001 thru 12-02 is my last employment history on my
resume. When I worked 12-02 thru 06-03 but I was fired and don't use this
employer on my resume.
Can you give me a suggestion -- please?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Yours is an interesting situation. Before I even get to the issue of the job
you were fired from, let’s start with what you’ve been doing in the year
since you were fired. Have you worked at all during this time? Have you
volunteered your services? Have you received additional education or training?
You must find something to fill this gap -- other than job-hunting or sitting
home feeling sorry for yourself over being fired for some sort of misunderstanding.
If you have not done anything -- start doing something NOW.
While a resume is a statement of facts, it is also a sales document -- it needs
to convince the prospective employer that you are worthy of an interview.
And in my opinion, a short stint is much better than having a much longer
gap on your resume. Regardless of the month, hiring managers will see 2002
and think that you have been out of work for two years and there must be
something wrong with you. It’s just too long of a gap. You could consider
using a functional or hybrid resume centered around skills clusters, but many
employers favor the traditional chronological resume because it’s easier to
find the information they need.
As for job applications, simply put “left company” as the reason. You certainly
do not need to go into any detail on the application. Again, the application is
designed to weed out applicants, so it too is a sales document for you. Once
in the interview, you may need to address the issue -- so be prepared with a
short statement about how you were fired over a misunderstanding, being very
certain to address the lesson you learned from the experience so that you
show a positive attitude and growth. Do not blame your previous employer
or manager; accept your responsibility in the issue, but do not dwell on it.
And don’t worry too much what this past employer will say about you. The
one benefit of living in such a litigious society is that most employers are
very unwilling to say anything too negative about current or former employers
for fear of being sued.
Finally, it sounds as though you are having a hard time rebounding from
being fired. If so, consider getting some sort of career counseling to deal
with these feelings. You might also benefit from my article,
Getting Fired:
An Opportunity for Change and Growth, published on Quintessen
Q:
Mary Jo writes:
I've been using your site a lot over the past few months and the
resources you offer helped me tremendously.
Here's the thing: I've been offered a job and accepted their offer,
but can't seem to locate information about giving notice and negotiating
a smooth transition with my current employer.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Kudos to you for understanding the importance of not burning any bridges as you transition from your old employer to your new one. You should always leave an employer on good terms - even if you leave hating the company, job, co-workers, or boss(es). The world is a small place and you just never know when you will run into previous bosses and co-workers.
The key issue with resigning is to do so with class. Give the proper amount of notice, which for most professional jobs, is two weeks. I suggest putting your resignation in writing - just so there is a record of it. Offer to stay longer if you are integrally involved in a major project. In most cases, your boss will take the news graciously, but be prepared for some negative vibes. In some cases, your current employer will make a counter offer to try and get you to stay - and you could consider it, but we’ve found that counter offers simply just prolong your inevitable departure.
Here are some other do’s and don’ts of resigning gracefully:
Do make the transition as easy and as smooth as possible. And do
offer to help find and/or train your replacement. But don’t make promises you can’t -- or won't -- keep.
Don't disappear during your last weeks on the job. Do stay a productive member of the team.
Do make sure you receive all your stored up compensation and benefits, including
bonus checks and unused vacation time, personal days, etc.
Do make a plan to keep in touch with key coworkers, friends, and mentors. Keep
your network strong.
Don't feel guilty about leaving. It may be hard to leave, but focus on the fact that
you are leaving to accept a great career opportunity. And don't brag about that great opportunity.
Do your best to wrap up all your major assignments. And do leave a detailed
progress report for your supervisor and/or successor.
