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So there you are, on a cool little outing with your friends: vibin’, slidin’, dippin’, glidin’ around like a feather. Cocktail in hand, you’re making conversation with your best friend’s new co-worker when they look you in the eyes and ask, “So what do you do?”

*Record scratch*

You can’t believe they had the audacity. The impudence. The GUMPTION. Why would they ruin your vibe with THAT question?

You look at them, they look at you:

In your mind, you push them. In reality, you give a quietly frustrated answer and transform into this meme:

Ever been there before? Because I have.

It sucks.

There are definitely many reasons why someone might hate this question, but there’s one in particular that I’ve come across several times now with people I’ve spoken to, and it really stands out to me:

They’re not proud of their job.

It’s more than just not liking it. They find it uninteresting. Uninspiring. In their mind, their work and impact are insignificant.

And because they really feel that way, they assume others will too when told about it.

So being asked that question can feel dreadful, embarrassing, sad. Not because what you do is embarrassing or sad or dreadful, but because you feel that way about it for one reason or another.

Maybe because it’s boring to you. Or because you don’t feel respected by your co-workers, supervisors, students, customers, or whoever. You probably put out high quality work, but maybe your job doesn’t allow you the opportunity to have the impact you want to have. And honestly, I can relate. When I worked in Higher Education, I felt respected by my peers, but I didn’t feel particularly proud of the impact I was having. It didn’t start off that way, but so much of my work started to feel mundane to me over time. I couldn’t stand being asked about my work by friends, family, or new acquaintances.

If you find yourself feeling a little bit annoyed when someone asks you about your job, I have a task for you. Ask yourself this question:

Why?

Go sit somewhere quiet, pull out your favorite wooden pencil (are those a thing of the past now?), and write out some of your thoughts on why you feel that way. If you find that it’s at least in part due to the fact that answering “So, what do you do?” makes you feel kinda small, then I have another question for you to ask yourself:

What about your job or career makes you feel that way?

Do you feel embarrassingly underpaid? Does it feel ridiculously mundane? What’s the pain?

Most of us want to do work that we feel is important and fulfilling. And we want to be able to make a real living doing that work. Is that too much to ask?!

Nah, of course not. Believe it or not, there are real people that don’t mind being asked about what they do for a living. There are people who actually feel excited by it! And I would bet that for many of them it’s because they don’t feel like they’re doing unimpactful work. They’re actually inspired by some of their daily tasks. They wake up in the morning at peace with the work day ahead. They feel good about where they’re at.

So it’s possible. I’ve seen it, experienced it myself, and worked with others who have too. But it can be challenging to get there. If you’ve read this far, I’d guess that you’re already well aware of that.

And I have some news for you: I want to help you get to a place where talking about what you do makes you feel excited.

Schedule a call with me and let’s talk (CLICK HERE). It’s free, it’s one small positive action, and you’ll feel good about it. Let’s start you on the path to being able to answer “So, what do you do?” without the stress and frustration.

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Imagine working so hard all your life and gaining all this valuable professional experience, just to identify a job you really want and be told you’re “overqualified” for the role.

Boooo! It’s a really crappy situation.

Unfortunately, it really happens. And it isn’t fair

If it’s happened to you before, you might feel frustrated and cheated.

And you might feel confused about how to navigate your job search moving forward. Is it a bad thing you went and got several degrees in pursuit of depth of knowledge? Is it really all that terrible that you’ve spent YEARS acquiring valuable experience and skills?

It’s not.

And fortunately, there is something you can do to help you manage it. Let’s dive a little deeper.

WHERE’S THIS COMING FROM?

First, it’s worth it to understand where the hesitation to hire an “overqualified” candidate comes from.

The hardest part about hiring is actually keeping the people you hire–retention. Hiring managers fear that if they hire a candidate that checks off every box in the job description and much more, that candidate will get bored quickly and want to leave (and possibly come for their job). They’ll be right back in hiring mode way sooner than they wanna be, and as I’ve mentioned before, hiring can be a wildly expensive chore.

On the other hand, they’d rather find a candidate that maybe isn’t fully qualified but is eager to learn and grow into the role.

And there, my super qualified friends, lies your potential advantage in this game.

THE TIP YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

When you have a huge amount of experience or education or skill, it’s natural for you to rely on it as a selling point.

Because…why wouldn’t you?

The problem is, rely too heavily on it and it could come off as a red flag, leaving you labeled as overqualified. A flight risk of sorts. So what do you do instead?

You take a page out of your less qualified counterparts’ book.

Instead of leaning heavily on your experience and education to do the heavy lifting, rely on your motivation to learn and grow in the role.

Remember: At the interview stage, the hiring team has already seen your extra juicy resume, so they already know you have the required skills and experience and then some.

So what else can you show them? Show them that despite your years in the game, you’re just as hungry to join this team, learn from the experience, and contribute to the culture. Be ready to explain how THIS role gives you the opportunity to still grow over time.

BONUS TIP

Get a referral from someone the hiring team can trust. Maybe a former colleague of the hiring manager, or someone who already works at the company or institution.

The hiring team is gonna be thinking: “Hmmm…why is Brandon applying for this job? This would be a step back for him. What’s his game? Can we even afford him?”

From a hiring manager’s perspective, it’s a little odd to see someone who’s significantly overqualified in the pool. Being that there’ll probably be at least a little bit of suspicion, it’ll go a long way if you can get a referral that can really vouch for you.

And lastly, I gotta say this because I want you to get all that you deserve. Ask yourself if you’re really ok with applying for jobs you’re overqualified for. Are you at peace with potentially settling for a role that has a lower pay range than what you can likely get by applying for bigger roles?

If so, go for it. Otherwise, maybe it’s time for you to start applying for those roles you’re a little bit underqualified for.

WHAT TO DO FROM HERE

Whether you’re overqualified or not, I want you to ask yourself (and be honest–no shame in the Gallant community!) if you feel like it’s time for a change in your career.

Do you feel like you’re burning out? Do you feel like you’re underpaid? Are you just not satisfied at work anymore?

It IS POSSIBLE for you to land a job that you actually want to go to (speaking from experience here).

If that sounds interesting to you, it’s time for us to have a quick little conversation. For free. Click here and sign up for a free consultation with me.

Let’s get you organized and started down a path that’s more fulfilling for you.

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