How do you overcome the objection of “you’re over-qualified”? What the hiring manager is really saying is one of two things – you are older and have too high level of skill, therefore you will want too much money, more than we can pay; you are older and will not fit in with our younger millennial workforce.
How do you address that question? Be prepared with an answer.
SKILLS – I believe I have the requisite skills and experience to make a great contribution to your company. This is just the right fit for me at this stage in my career. Salary will not be an issue.
As you go through the interview process, you lay out your accomplishments and skills that relate not only to the job description, but to other functions within the company. You become more valuable as an employee when you show you can do more than what is listed in the job description.
SALARY – When asked about salary – hold off the discussion as long as possible. You want to show your interest in the job use these answers in response to the salary questions.
- I would like to learn more about the job and the company before we discuss salary.
- This job is very different from my previous job so my previous salary is irrelevant.
- I am really interested in this job and salary will not be an issue.
BE A PROBLEM SOLVER – what every hiring manager is looking for is a problem solver. Whether you work in IT, HR, customer service, retail, banking or manufacturing, your job is to figure out how to solve problems. Your experience in various jobs, various industries, working with different kinds of customers, stakeholders, boards, vendors and customers has helped you to become a problem solver. Be ready with three to five problems and how you solved them for previous companies.
ACT AS A CONSULTANT – The interview process is really a consultative process. If you approach your interview as a consultant, you will ask more questions and find out the problems and challenges facing the company. Ask questions about the challenges faced in this company, by this manager, and then come up with suggestions as to how to handle them. Be prepared with your answers to show how you can be a problem solver and therefore an asset to the company.
SHOW YOUR PASSION – And last, but certainly not least, show passion and enthusiasm for the mission of the organization. If you have dedicated a good part of your working life to a particular cause or industry, let that show in your voice, your gestures and your accomplishments.