Got told I was "overqualified" for a role I actually wanted and didn't know how to respond to that
Recruiter said it kindly, almost like a compliment — "honestly, you're overqualified for this one." Sat with that for a full day before realizing it was a rejection wearing nicer clothes. I wanted the role for real reasons: smaller team, problem space I cared about, not a step up I was faking humility about. Didn't have a good answer in the moment beyond "I understand." Has anyone actually talked their way past that line, or is it just a wall once it's said out loud?
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AnonymousAnon The one time it worked for me was asking directly what specifically made them land on 'overqualified' — turned out to be a tenure concern, not a skill one, and naming that let me actually address it instead of just nodding along.
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AnonymousAnon I've had some luck reframing it in the moment — something like 'I'm looking for depth over title right now, not a step up' — doesn't always land but at least it's a real answer instead of just absorbing the label.