Reply to: Overqualified?

[Ivor Bigun]

..... the next interview I go to will have a completely different expectation/interpretation/acceptance criteria to please.

......It doesn't matter how much you know, or what you know.. if someone at the other end is insecure about one-upmanship you're f**ked from the kick-off, which I quite honestly believe to be the case this week..

The guy who owns the gold makes the rules.
If a f*ckwit has the power over you, learn to suck up to him - It ain't gonna kill you is it?

Anyway, if you are aware of the highlighted bit, then you must recognise that you have to change the way you project yourself if you're in that situation again.
It doesn't mean you have to be untrue to yourself, its just that you must only reveal what the interviewer wants to see in that first brief meeting.
The easiest way to so this is to reveal very little.

The biggest problem we all face now is that no-one is going to hire someone who is a threat to themselves...

ESPECIALLY WITH CURRENT CLIMATE...

Just remember that interviews get better the more you have them

[blacjac]

Chris, consider this advice carefully. I'm sure it soesn't apply to you but you never know.

Take a good look in the mirror - What do you see? If you see any of the following, you'll know what to do to rectify you initial impression.
- Out of shape
- Puffy skin from drinking too much or staying out too late/not enough sleep
- Stained teeth
- Bad (stupid) haircut or unkempt and overdue for a style makeover
- Podgy shape
- Bad breath
- Shabby smelly suit
- Old dirty shoes
- Ungroomed or untrimmed hair coming out of ears or nose
- Dirty spectacles. etc etc etc
- Long dirty fingernails

That must be really bad breath

[suityou01]

No, neither do I. This means that I don't have to bother ironing my shirt sleeves.

tim

whs

[tim123]

I never take my jacket off, .

No, neither do I. This means that I don't have to bother ironing my shirt sleeves.

tim

[suityou01]

Just another interesting one here.. I'm always wondering whether it's a good thing or not to take off your suit jacket once you get sat down at the interview table.

Sitting being interviewed in your suit jacket to me seems a bit too formal and ridgid.. then again, I think taking it off perhaps makes you seem to casual, almost like you're making yourself at home from the offset.

Yesterday's interview I decided to observe what the clients were wearing, both sat down with suit jackets on so I 'followed suit'.. (pardon the pun).

I never take my jacket off, unless they do. Sort of etiquette. If they do and you don't then subliminally that could construe something, also the contrary is true I think.

[chris79]

Just another interesting one here.. I'm always wondering whether it's a good thing or not to take off your suit jacket once you get sat down at the interview table.

Sitting being interviewed in your suit jacket to me seems a bit too formal and ridgid.. then again, I think taking it off perhaps makes you seem too casual, almost like you're making yourself at home from the offset.

Yesterday's interview I decided to observe what the clients were wearing, both sat down with suit jackets on so I 'followed suit'.. (pardon the pun).

[chris79]

Cheers guys, been reading all the replies and reflecting on the situation and feeling a bit better about it now. I guess it's just with the Xmas period, then the sitting around waiting part.. 2 good gigs come up in the space of a week and get knocked back from both with sh*t excuses. The excuse on last week's interview was "chose a candidate who had slightly better leadership ability".. I then see the job re-advertised on jobserve the same night.

From 2 weeks of preparing, interviewing, then waiting.. I've learned a few things:-

1. Agents really are just in it for themselves, and will be nice to your face but the second you're not worth anything to them they'll drop you like a stone. They also tell lies. (I knew all this already, but it's been proven quite forcefully this past fortnight).

2. Someone said it here I think "never love a job you don't have".. well I went with that philosophy, I guess the frustration is more the job market than not getting the gig. The reasons for not getting I know are complete bulls**t and I was offered more comprehensive feedback which quite frankly I don't care to even read.. it serves no purpose as the information is only useful to them, and the next interview I go to will have a completely different expectation/interpretation/acceptance criteria to please.

3. It doesn't matter how much you know, or what you know.. if someone at the other end is insecure about one-upmanship you're f**ked from the kick-off, which I quite honestly believe to be the case this week.

I'll be back on jobserve tomorrow morning.

[suityou01]

Sorry to hear that dude. These thing have a habit of working out. It is quite possible you did VERY well at interview, and some insecure managers that like to be seen as "top dog" and can't actually put both feet into management and still like to keep their hand in might feel threatened.

On the other hand, you missed out to the six foot blonde with big tits and they needed to manufacture an excuse and went to page one in "Bullsh*t excuses for turning down perfectly good contractors - ISBN: 80110X"

I got "offered" on Friday for a gig, but am still waiting for the paperwork. I have an extremely young lad at the pimps dealing with this so he doesn't even have the patter to come up with excuses that are in the least believable. Possibly back on the bench too, but gigs are like buses as a learned poster mentioned in this thread.

Chin up, maybe next time you'll get a gig working next to the blonde.

[Ivor Bigun]

Got rejected for a gig today due to being 'overqualified for the post'...

Why drag me all the way to a f**king interview off the back of my CV only to decide that? Insecure managers afraid of whatever is my only conclusion, looks like a bit more time on the bench for now. I knew there was something up with the guy of similar age couldn't look me in the eye on the departing handshake..

Chris, consider this advice carefully. I'm sure it soesn't apply to you but you never know.

Take a good look in the mirror - What do you see? If you see any of the following, you'll know what to do to rectify you initial impression.
- Out of shape
- Puffy skin from drinking too much or staying out too late/not enough sleep
- Stained teeth
- Bad (stupid) haircut or unkempt and overdue for a style makeover
- Podgy shape
- Bad breath
- Shabby smelly suit
- Old dirty shoes
- Ungroomed or untrimmed hair coming out of ears or nose
- Dirty spectacles. etc etc etc
- Long dirty fingernails

OR perversly
- Too well groomed and power dressed too stongly.

For most interviewers, the decision is made within a few seconds of you entering the room and the rest is just a confirmation of the original decision.

If the interviewer is younger or the same age, you need to look as good as him or to look like you are someone he would like to be (and likes and respects).

Also, don't talk so much - Only answer the questions asked in a careful succinct clear firendly way.

Do not think that the interview is an opportunity to tell the interviewer what you think will impress them - you will always get it wrong by the vey act that you are TELLING them - they will not have asked for it.

good luck - Clearly you could do the job - You failed the interview because the interviewer didn't like you - nothing else - find out why quick.

[TykeMerc]

Bad luck.
I've always found that if you go away from the interview thinking it went well, it means it didn't.

Not quite always, but very often in my case and I've been offered gigs when I felt I utterly screwed the meeting and hadn't a hope in hell.

[Ivor Bigun]

Just annoying too as it was 20 mins from my doorstep on what would have been my best rate ever..

Anyway, sorry. Rant over!!

Bad luck.
I've always found that if you go away from the interview thinking it went well, it means it didn't.

[Turion]

Bad luck on losing both gigs. Well, whatever advice was given in your pervious thread it was meaningless in this case, but interviews are like buses, they'll be another load along soon and you'll be worried about which offers to turn down and be doing the boomed banana thing

Make sure you send a thankyou note to the interviewer, with this at the end

[BrowneIssue]

chris79,

Yes, "overqualified" is always a lie when applied to contractors. It actually means your face didn't fit. But they don't want to say "You're going to get on my wick" or "You remind me of the bloke my wife had her affair with" or "You are so going to show me up" or "The rest of the team are going to be so intimidated by you" or even "I don't know why, but I just don't like you".

If they had taken you on, it would not have worked out, no matter how hard you tried. They didn't want you, they would have been unhappy and it would have made the gig untenable. That's what it really means.

So give yourself a reward for doing an interview: a takeaway, a bottle of pink pop, whatever.

Pat yourself on the back for doing a good interview. Well done!

Be grateful they allowed you to practice your interview technique - people charge lots for that service. Practice is always helpful.

Then get back to sending out CVs at 8:00 tomorrow.

[Gonzo]

Got rejected for a gig today due to being 'overqualified for the post'...

Why drag me all the way to a f**king interview off the back of my CV only to decide that? Insecure managers afraid of whatever is my only conclusion, looks like a bit more time on the bench for now. I knew there was something up with the guy of similar age couldn't look me in the eye on the departing handshake..

Have a rant, you'll feel better for it. Don't think that what you have been told for a minute is the actual truth.

Sometimes your face just doesn't fit. Accept that and move on, that's contracting.

Its not as though you were looking to get married or anything and had invested vast amounts of energy cultivating what you thought to be the perfect opportunitity only to have someone now tell you that you have been wrong about that all along.

[Fred Bloggs]

Probably looking for some free consultancy. Normally a reason in these situations.

Yes, that's happened to me too. Never again though. Now I openly just say "you need to pay for that information" if I suspect that happening.