Or is it just a term made up to find an easier reason to reject job applicants?
So it looks like the consensus is “overqualified” is a euphemism for
- “I’m afraid you’ll leave this job because I’m assuming you’ll have better chances elsewhere” aka “you won’t accept being my slave forever due to lack of opportunities”
- “I’m afraid you might actually understand how shitty it is here and want to improve things. can’t have that”
- “I don’t want to figure out how much to pay you when you know your worth”
- “You cost too much”
- “I have other reasons, but won’t say them”
It’s very real, if you are too qualified for a position you are not going to be fulfilled in that role and you’ll probably leave real fast or just be depressed as hell
That’s an assumption. Maybe they want to switch careers.
Yeah, but hiring is a big series of assumptions. Resumes and interviews only give you so much confidence on how a person will actually do in the job.
Speaking for myself, I want to hire quickly. I get 10 resumes for 1 spot, I’m not going to agonize over whether the PhD is having a mid-life change and really wants the fast food job, or if they are going to split in a month, or hell, if they have some addiction or personal problem that prevents them from holding a job that matches their qualifications. If there’s a candidate that meets the reqs and seems like a fit, I’m moving right along with them.
If the PhD is convincing in an interview that they’re really just looking for a switch, sure, but I’m not going to waste a lot of time and energy waiting to be convinced when there are other candidates with a more expected profile also vying for the job.