The “Are you overqualified for this job?” interview question aims to assess candidates’ level of commitment to the role and salary expectations. Recruiters also ask this question to see whether there’s room for professional growth.
An impressive resume with years of experience and an extensive skill set should be your advantage when applying for a job. But if your qualifications exceed a company’s expectations and job requirements, you may be deemed “overqualified.”
Your reasons for applying, however, may be slowing down with your career to focus on your personal life or liking the job description. To present them correctly to a recruiter, you need to learn how to address overqualification in an interview, so stay tuned for all the tips, tricks, and sample answers.
Key Takeaways
- The “Are you overqualified for this job?” interview question evaluates a candidate’s professional development potential, salary expectations, and career motivation.
- When addressing your overqualification, express your enthusiasm about the role and make sure to address the employer’s potential concerns.
- Don’t downplay your experience; rather, acknowledge it and emphasize the benefits of hiring you.
- Practice your answers beforehand to sound more confident at the interview.
- Make sure not to give the impression of looking for a temporary job.
Why Employers Ask, “Are You Overqualified for This Job?” at Interviews
Employers ask, “Are you overqualified for this job?” to determine whether the position you’ve applied for is far below your experience and level of education. But can you be overqualified for a job, genuinely?
Bringing to the table everything the job requires and then some should make you the perfect candidate, the one who’s most likely to land the job, right? Unfortunately, that may not be the case. Being overqualified can get your application rejected.
This may not make much sense at first glance, but if you think about it, with substantial experience and knowledge come ambitious salary expectations. Moreover, a position below your educational or expertise level might not be challenging enough for you to keep you motivated and engaged.
Let’s explore and elaborate on the concerns the question “Are you overqualified for this job?” actually signals:
- Long-term commitment to the job in question. When a candidate is overqualified, the employer may think they’re likely to leave the company as soon as a more challenging career opportunity appears.
- Growth potential. This is an extension of the first entry—if the job isn’t challenging enough for you, the employer may believe it can’t contribute to your career advancement and improve your professional skills.
- Salary expectations. A candidate with a strong resume has certainly invested in building it; employers know that. Naturally, they expect such candidates to have higher salary expectations than what the company’s budget allows.
- Team dynamics. An overqualified candidate may not fit into the team, especially if their position requires them to take directives from someone with less experience, or so employers think. They may fear that an overqualified candidate would disrupt the team dynamics.
How to Answer the “Are You Overqualified For This Job?” Interview Question?
Answering the “Are you overqualified for this job?” interview question may be tricky. Although it’s a yes/no question in its form, a simple “yes” or “no” won’t do.
Namely, this particular inquiry implies many other tricky interview questions, such as, “What are your salary expectations?” or “Why do you want to work here?”
Let’s go over the tips we’ve prepared on how to answer it and what to do when you’re too qualified for the job you’ve applied for.
#1. Express Your Enthusiasm About the Job
Always remember to express your enthusiasm about the job you’re interviewing for, especially if you’re overqualified for it. This is where you should showcase your soft skills since your resume already speaks about your experience and technical skills.
Therefore, be honest about your reasons for applying and highlight what you find especially appealing about the role.
The best way to express your enthusiasm is to use the information you’ve gathered while researching the company for the interview. Emphasize how your working style fits in with its culture and how its objectives align with your professional goals and ambitions.
Moreover, be mindful of your body language. A polite smile makes you seem approachable and zealous, while crossed arms give off the impression of being closed off.
#2. Explain Your Career Motivations
When answering the “Are you overqualified for this job?” interview question, make sure to address your career motivations. You should emphasize how you think the job can challenge you to grow professionally and help you reach your career goals.
This way, you’ll make the recruiter realize you have something to learn while working with the company. Additionally, sharing your career motivations lets employers know you’re eager to advance professionally, which is a desirable trait for a job applicant. It also shows dedication to work—a highly driven employee is likely to go the extra mile to excel in their position.
Therefore, speak about what you find motivating about your career and the job you’ve applied for, highlighting your professional long-term plans. Moreover, explain how the position you’re interviewing for can contribute to them.
#3. Explain What You Bring to the Table
Explain what you bring to the table and how your qualifications can benefit the company. For example, your extensive experience may allow you to complete work tasks in a shorter amount of time.
Additionally, your knowledge and expertise have likely contributed to your problem-solving skills and made you more competent when it comes to addressing complex issues.
The key is to turn the tables and use your proficiency to your advantage by pointing out the positive impact you can have on the company and vice versa. This way, you’ll divert the interviewer’s attention from your overqualification to the fact that you’d be a valuable team member.
#4. Be Willing to Reevaluate Your Salary Expectations
When addressing your overqualification at a job interview, be willing to reevaluate your salary expectations. While it’s only natural to form them according to your experience and expertise, if you want a position that’s below your educational or professional level, you need to be open to considering a lower salary.
It’s important to point that out during the interview since your salary expectations are an employer’s primary concern about an overqualified candidate. They may even assume they can’t afford you and write you off as a result.
That’s why you should assure them that monetary compensation isn’t the main reason for your application. Moreover, explain why you’ve decided to take a step down in your career and whether it’s the stress of high-level positions or making room for other priorities, such as family. Emphasize how the job description aligns with your expectations.
5 Sample Answers to the “Are You Overqualified For This Job?” Interview Question
Let’s put the tips into practice and review five sample answers to this question for different industries and positions.
#1. Marketing Answer Sample
“Although I have extensive experience in the marketing sector, I’m currently seeking to make a career pivot, and I believe this position is the exact direction I want to go in. The job description perfectly aligns with my long-term career goals, as I strive to learn as much as possible about this specific branch of marketing.
Additionally, my qualifications enable me to do so more quickly since I’m already familiar with the basic principles of marketing. I think I can contribute to the company’s marketing strategy with my insights while expanding my own knowledge of the field.”
#2. IT Answer Sample
“While my experience exceeds the job requirements, I believe my qualifications can be beneficial to the team and company. I’m confident that I can bring a unique perspective to the role and subsequently enhance the team’s overall performance by helping streamline the workflow with my insights and ideas.
Moreover, I’m looking forward to contributing to the team by mentoring the other members as I become accustomed to my role. I believe I’m good at passing on my knowledge, and I’m excited about the opportunity to do so in the long run.”
#3. Teaching Answer Sample
“I recognize that my experience as an assistant professor makes me overqualified, but I believe it can also be a valuable asset in my career transition. Specifically, I can use my knowledge to organize workshops and engage high school students in extracurricular activities, which I think are crucial for their academic advancement and future achievements.
Additionally, I’m seeking a career shift, and this job is the perfect opportunity for me to do so. It comes with its own challenges, such as adjusting my teaching style to high school students, which I’m looking forward to. I consider myself an adaptable person, and I believe that I can contribute to the school faculty with my unique insights.”
#4. Engineering Answer Sample
“I understand your concerns that I, as a senior engineer, may be overqualified for the position of a design engineer. However, over the course of my career, I’ve realized that I enjoy a more hands-on approach. I’m especially interested in manufacturing, which is why the job appealed to me in the first place.
Moreover, I believe that my vast experience working on different projects has prepared me well for this role. Namely, I can contribute to the team’s performance by assisting the other team members and offering inventive solutions to complex problems that may arise during the manufacturing process.”
#5. Management Answer Sample
“While my regional manager experience exceeds the requirements of the team leader role, I believe that managing a smaller team would allow me to take part in the creative processes behind the company’s services. It would also be the perfect opportunity for me to share my knowledge, which would benefit the team’s overall performance.
In addition, this position would present me with some new challenges and lessons that would greatly contribute to my professional development. Being a good manager means understanding the specific intricacies of different levels of management, which is something I’m looking forward to learning.”
5+ Tips for Answering the “Are You Overqualified for This Job?” Interview Question
Let’s review some additional tips for answering this interview question.
Here are the dos for an overqualified job applicant:
- Channel the interviewer’s point of view. Before the interview, draw a parallel between your resume and job requirements. This way, you may be able to predict the employer’s concerns and prepare your answer to address them by emphasizing certain things about yourself, such as professional development potential and career aspirations.
- Practice your answer and prepare for follow-up questions. Rehearse the interview beforehand to prepare for possible follow-up questions. That way, you’ll identify specific points of your resume that may raise the employer’s concerns and know how to address them properly.
- Answer confidently. Remember all the standard interview tips and answer confidently and calmly. For example, if the interview is in person, maintain eye contact. Alternatively, if it’s a phone interview, monitor the expressiveness and tone of your voice.
Here’s what you shouldn’t do when you’re overqualified:
- Don’t downplay your qualifications. If you’re overqualified for a job, acknowledge the fact instead of trying to conceal or diminish your experience and expertise. Not only is that dishonest, but it also robs you of the opportunity to showcase unique skills that may prevail to your advantage.
- Don’t make your interest seem temporary. Avoid saying that the job is a temporary solution during a career transition or one of the many options you want to explore in the foreseeable future. Otherwise, the employer can decide you wouldn’t be committed to the role and thus not hire you.
- Don’t ignore the fact that you’re overqualified. If you’re overqualified for the position you’ve applied for, you need to expect the “Are you overqualified for this job?” question at your interview. Don’t ignore the employer’s potential concerns; rather, prepare to address them.
Final Thoughts
The seemingly simple “Are you overqualified for this job?” interview question assesses multiple things, from a candidate’s professional motivation to their salary expectations. Therefore, you should take them all into consideration when crafting your answer.
If your qualifications exceed the requirements of the job you want, determine the points that may concern the employer and prepare to address them adequately. The key is to present your extensive experience in a positive light and to emphasize your adaptability and desire to learn and grow as a professional.
Practice your answers in a mock interview to refine them and come across as a confident candidate, perfect for the role.
