Too Much?

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

  Career Development  

Being labeled "overqualified" is just as bad as being stamped "underqualified," because the end result is the same. The odds are against you from the onset.

It was a tricky issue a decade ago, and it's even messier now because the market is more demanding, especially in technology industries.

What if the market changes, the economy spirals into an unexpected recession, and you're laid off? Even in a great economy, nasty things happen. Companies go belly-up, or they're merged or sold. In both situations, once valuable people are cast off and forced to fend for themselves. For many, especially senior people earning big salaries, it means either waiting several months to find a comparable position or compromising and taking a lower-paying job where they're overqualified.

What would you do if you were thrust into that awkward (not to mention scary) situation? The time to give it serious thought is not when you've been axed, but while you're gainfully employed. Read on and learn about job-capturing strategies if you're overqualified.

For obvious reasons, employers are reluctant to hire overqualified candidates because they know they'll split as soon as they are offered a job that pays them going market rates and also gives them the power and authority they once enjoyed. How do present yourself when going after a job where your …

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