Overqualified. How to get attention of employers?

ammiLy

After unsuccessful attempt to get advice on old thread I decided to start new one.
My situations is this - I am highly qualified within a specific field and having tough time getting a job in my field. I really don't know if I want to work in that field any more. So I'm applying for works in admin, project management, policy work. I spend time on applications, carefully check job descriptions and tailor my cover letters etc. I have some experience of supervisory work from when I was doing my undergrad and I always mention it. My further studies I sell as one big project and again I point it out. Basically trying to find as many positives and relevant experiences as I can. All this and I don't even get invited for interviews! I think the problem is that I am so highly qualified and potential employers do not think I would stay at the advertised position (I apply for entry level jobs). Does anyone have any tips of how to get attention of employers and convince them I really do want to work in a different field and can do it well? Or am I misunderstand the situation and there is another reason I don't get interviews? Any advice will be greatly appreciated

AP007

Have you been told you are not getting the interviews as you are over qualified?

HappyMJ

ammiLy wrote: »

After unsuccessful attempt to get advice on old thread I decided to start new one.
My situations is this - I am highly qualified within a specific field and having tough time getting a job in my field. I really don't know if I want to work in that field any more. So I'm applying for works in admin, project management, policy work. I spend time on applications, carefully check job descriptions and tailor my cover letters etc. I have some experience of supervisory work from when I was doing my undergrad and I always mention it. My further studies I sell as one big project and again I point it out. Basically trying to find as many positives and relevant experiences as I can. All this and I don't even get invited for interviews! I think the problem is that I am so highly qualified and potential employers do not think I would stay at the advertised position (I apply for entry level jobs). Does anyone have any tips of how to get attention of employers and convince them I really do want to work in a different field and can do it well? Or am I misunderstand the situation and there is another reason I don't get interviews? Any advice will be greatly appreciated

There would probably be other reasons.

It's hard to do but all references to the experience you have but aren't going to use in the new position shouldn't even be on your CV. Employers aren't interested in stuff that does not relate to the job and if they are reading that they might think "not suitable" and bin your application without really reading any further. There are too many applications to read every one in detail so keep them short. Any experience from more than 5 years ago (some jobs it's 10 years) won't count any more so don't even bother including it so you may have to describe your last job in a different way to make it appear the experience you have in that job is much more useful in the new job. If it's been several years or more since you have had a relevant job then don't put exact dates on your CV. Just the years should be good enough but that doesn't always work either.

I don't think applying for entry level jobs is the right way to go about it. If you applied for jobs that require some experience then you might have a better chance of getting those jobs even though the experience you have is in a different field.

makeyourdaddyproud

Was the field IT by any chance?

ammiLy

AP007 wrote: »

Have you been told you are not getting the interviews as you are over qualified?

When I was signing up with an agency and told them what jobs I am looking for they told me I won't get considered for some of them because I am overqualified.

makeyourdaddyproud no, it's not IT.

HappyMJ do you mean I should not list my degrees on CV? I was under impression that it was compulsory to do so. I keep it to minimum and only list uni and what degree is in.
I had my OH look at my CV and cover letters as he's deals with project management and get's to interview people so he pointed out some things that I fixed. He's quite honest and it's in his interest that I get a job so he wouldn't say it's a decent application if it wasn't. But clearly recruiters do not think so and I want to learn to get their attention and sell myself as a perfect employee. Just lost for how to do it

AP007

ammiLy wrote: »

When I was signing up with an agency and told them what jobs I am looking for they told me I won't get considered for some of them because I am overqualified.

I get that a lot applying for jobs I have 20 years exp doing. Makes me so mad!!:mad::mad::mad:

[Deleted User]

ammiLy wrote: »

When I was signing up with an agency and told them what jobs I am looking for they told me I won't get considered for some of them because I am overqualified.

makeyourdaddyproud no, it's not IT.

HappyMJ do you mean I should not list my degrees on CV? I was under impression that it was compulsory to do so. I keep it to minimum and only list uni and what degree is in.
I had my OH look at my CV and cover letters as he's deals with project management and get's to interview people so he pointed out some things that I fixed. He's quite honest and it's in his interest that I get a job so he wouldn't say it's a decent application if it wasn't. But clearly recruiters do not think so and I want to learn to get their attention and sell myself as a perfect employee. Just lost for how to do it

Your CV is a sales document, not a historically accurate diorama of your educational achievements. Tailor it so.

Dunroamin

I'm going to assume that you're using a traditional chronological CV format which is totally inapprpriate for someone in your situation. If you change to writing a skills based CV you should have more success with your applications.

ammiLy

Dunroamin wrote: »

I'm going to assume that you're using a traditional chronological CV format which is totally inapprpriate for someone in your situation. If you change to writing a skills based CV you should have more success with your applications.

Dunroamin and/or ringo_24601, could you point me in a direction where I could find a decent example of skills based CV? You are right, mine is a traditional chronological CV which is what I was shown how to write and it works (or at least did work) in my field. And do you think it will benefit me in situations where an online form has to be filled in on top of submitting CV, ie what do employers look at first - the form of CV?
Also would appreciate it if anyone could comment on the legal responsibility (or whatever it is) to disclose information upon application for a job? I heard of people being dismissed for lying on their CV, but don't know the details of this requirement. Obviously there's no place for blatant lies, but if I do not list my uni degrees is that not a kind of lie?
BTW thanks all for taking time to read and comment! :T

GwylimT

If there is an area you are interested in you could contact some potential employers expressing an interest in doing some work experience/shadowing to get a true feel for the role.

HappyMJ

ammiLy wrote: »

Dunroamin and/or ringo_24601, could you point me in a direction where I could find a decent example of skills based CV? You are right, mine is a traditional chronological CV which is what I was shown how to write and it works (or at least did work) in my field. And do you think it will benefit me in situations where an online form has to be filled in on top of submitting CV, ie what do employers look at first - the form of CV?
Also would appreciate it if anyone could comment on the legal responsibility (or whatever it is) to disclose information upon application for a job? I heard of people being dismissed for lying on their CV, but don't know the details of this requirement. Obviously there's no place for blatant lies, but if I do not list my uni degrees is that not a kind of lie?
BTW thanks all for taking time to read and comment! :T

If you omit something like your degree that is not a lie. If you fail to list a job that you worked at but didn't really like that's not a lie either. Lying on your CV is saying you have a honors degree from just a few years ago and have been working ever since in a role higher than the one that you really did.

If your degree is more than 10 years old I'd just leave it out.