Like so many Americans I’m out looking for a new position/career and just as so many others I am older and have been in my profession (sales) for more than 20 years.
Over my many years I have taken part in many courses to improve my skills in selling, in client development and in recognizing the unspoken needs of others. In my career I have worked for only a handful of companies as I found myself landing with one company where I spent more than fifteen years helping them grow their business.
During those fifteen years I worked hard learning everything I could about the business, the industry and our customers and in doing so I was able to help the company identify areas where we could make changes that would significantly improve employee/client retention and processes. As I shared ideas which resulted in improvements I moved up the corporate ladder.
With each new position I took on new challenges that others were not as willing to chance but for me I thrive on offering more than “just” doing a job. I took my positions seriously, I took my clients and their businesses seriously and in doing so I developed relationships that to this day still have my phone ringing asking for input in ideas for the growth of this business or that one.
And as is typical, as I climbed the ladder so did others who had different ideas and visions. I of course though that was great, we needed to keep thinking outside the box and find other ways to improve our business, products and programs so we stayed ahead of the competition. However with a new leader and new ideas comes the time when the new leader decides he only wants to surround himself with others that hold degrees.
Degrees, in my opinion are nothing more than a fancy piece of paper that is often not worth the ink it is written with. Oh don’t get me wrong; in the right profession a degree is vital. I mean if I need to go to the doctor or seek legal advice I want to be working with someone who has the best education money can buy. But if we’re talking about something like sales whether real estate, business to business, marketing, employee relations and the such I believe a degree offers no benefit other than to show that you can sit in a class and listen to the ideas of another person. In the professions of sales and employee relations experience is going to offer you the best “teaching” available.
So as I did not have a degree it was decided I had little to offer and my position changed with a promise (wink, wink) that it was temporary until they found a position where they could utilize my skills. Months went by and eventually a year passed to which I was still waiting for that position to come where my skills will be used. And while I waited I was daily asked by the executive, degreed team how to do this task or that one as they had no idea. Yes they had a degree but they had no real experience in the reality of what our business was and who our customers were.
Finally the day came when I realized that the position would never come with this company, yet I would continue to be used for my skills and knowledge simply for the advantage and advancement of others. After months of anguishing thought I decided to leave. This decision was very hard not only for me but for several of the management team who depended on me to help them when they were not available and/or did not have the answers.
The day I left the company I had high spirit and felt the opportunities ahead of me would be incredible. I mean how could I not feel good about things, I had aided in the development of many improvements with the company that allowed the company to grow. Along with that my immediate manager and the HR director both noted how my leaving would impact them, the company, the employees and the customers.
With a high heart I left in search of a new company where my skills would be used and I would assist in their growth. A new career, a new start to another long chapter of my life was unfolding and I couldn’t wait. Imagine my surprise as I started my search and heard, “Wow, impressive resume…Unfortunately you are over qualified.”
Time and time again these words have been heard and I just can’t get my hands around how any company can look at someone and decide not to hire them because they may be “over qualified” and therefore will be bored by the position. Granted I understand some positions might be boring but wouldn’t that position be just as boring regardless of the level of experience a person has? Isn’t that why often times a company will hire someone less qualified and then promote them once they understand the position? Or isn’t it common to add more responsibilities to the position to keep the person challenged?
And honestly why would a company not want someone with qualifications, even if they are over qualified. Doesn’t that simply show that the person strives to better themselves, the company and in essence can help take the company from its current position in the market to a position that maybe they haven’t even realized was available to them?
In my mind to be told someone is over qualified is an insult and only shows a company not willing to take a chance to push their business to be all it can be. With our economy as it is today there are going to be more and more “over qualified” individuals looking for positions with companies to use their experience to impact its growth and challenge themselves.
If you are the owner of a business looking to grow in this market today wouldn’t you want to take the chance of hiring someone with experience and being “over qualified”? I certainly would as that could be the difference in a company finding new solutions to compete in a scary market or the “over qualified” individuals of your company, which could include even you, trying to find themselves a position with another company.
