"Over Qualified"

o⋅ver⋅qual⋅i⋅fied 
 /ˈoʊvərˈkwɒləˌfaɪd/ [oh-ver-kwol-uh-fahyd]
–adjective
having more education, training, or experience than is required for a job or position.
Origin: 1950–55; over- + qualified
Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

I've heard this word a lot lately. A long with the following phrases at the conclusion of what I thought were successful job interviews.

"I'm just concerned that you won't feel challenged."

"Don't you think you'll get bored?"

"This is such a small position for someone with a degree."

or my favorite (thank you Target, for showing me the light...)

"hahahahahaha...no really honey, WHY are you applying for a cashier job?"

I've been unemployed since March. I've filled out ...hundreds, and I mean HUNDREDS of applications. Everywhere from marketing firms to the local Walmart. I've been in sales for about 8 years in some form or fashion, and I've accumulated a pretty hefty knowledge of customer service and your basic office skills along the way. (Microsoft is my bitch yo...)

However...when applying for your basic everyday receptionist job? (There aren't a lot of positions out there in my field that don't have that ugly two phrase word "commission only" attached to them anymore...) I get told that I'll be bored and underworked and in general not be happy.

Clearly these people don't understand what being out of work for dang near a year it seems does to the average working person's pysche.

I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK THE JOB IS "BENEATH" MY CAPABILITIES. I need a place to go...to earn a paycheck...to feed my children... (should I break out the pictures of them next time? They are pretty darn cute...maybe smear some dirt on them?) A PAYCHECK WOULD MAKE ME VERY VERY HAPPY INDEED!!!

I don't like that phrase..."over qualified" it implies that I'm something I'm not...which is too good to do an honest days work in a blue collar field to bring home some bacon for my babies. I grew up in a blue collar household. My mama worked at Kmart until she earned her teaching certificate and my daddy was a plant hand and car salesman. Your every day average American family just trying to get by.

And then there are the jobs that I apply for just "to see." The jobs I honestly haven't a hope and a prayer of getting because they are WAY beyond my capabilities (I'm sooo not qualified to be a social worker.) THESE are the jobs I actually get interviews for??? Are ya kidding me? I don't have a PH D! I don't even have a graduate degree! Hell, my MAJOR was THEATRE!!! I'm trying to figure out how that in anyway makes me qualified to teach college mathematics!?!? (I'm not even allowed to help my 8 year old with his math homework!!!)

The job market is a funny place indeed and I'm channeling Dory from Nemo just about daily ("just keep swimming") but DAYUM!!!!

I just think that hiring someone who MIGHT be "over qualified" for a position to say, answer your telephones, or ring up peoples purchases...someone with ten years of customer service experience who knows how to talk to folks and is pretty good with computers (and has a REASON to get up to go to work everyday, great availibity, and a tendency to only call in sick when her children are running 106 fever...) would be a much better investment of company funds than a college kid who is gonna call in sick every third hangover and is rude to your customers?

But that's just me.