When your qualifications on paper add up to more than what the job requires, a savvy job applicant should be prepared to answer a few key interview questions.
What motivated you to apply for this position? According to Atlanta-based certified career coach Hallie Crawford, that is one of the first things a recruiter or hiring manager might want to know about a candidate whose resume is stronger than the position.
Crawford, who founded HallieCrawford.com Career Coaching in 2002, advises answering these or similar questions without being defensive or apologetic. It's natural that a potential employer would be curious to learn:
- What kind of future do you see at this organization?
- What interests you about our company and why would you want to stay here longer term?
- How are you going to stay motivated given you are overqualified?
- Will you get bored in this position? Why or why not?
In addition to specific questions about motivation and goals, Kathy Malkowski, senior corporate recruiter for LocumTenens.com, a job board site for health professionals, said to be prepared to answer more questions as an overqualified candidate.
"If a candidate looks more qualified than the job requires we ask a few more questions to ensure the candidate would be happy at that level or in that role long-term," she said. "Candidates can be at different stages in their lives and in their careers so a thorough conversation is needed to make sure the role is a good fit for the candidate and for the company."
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