This post is not directly related to game development jobs - please keep it in the Lounge .

I am having a real hard time trying figure out how to apply for projects that I am *VERY* over qualified for ( I need the money ) .

Here in the USA, if you turn in a job application + resume that clearly shows that you are overqualified for a position, hiring managers are very afraid to hire you for the project. They are afraid that you will leave once a better job becomes available.

My issue is - I am *VERY* overqualified for the very few available projects . My work history shows it ( worked in 2 nuclear facilities in the last year ), my education shows it, my qualifications show it, and my former employers show it.

Is there any way to dumb down my Resume + Work History + Education so that it does not show that I am overqualified for the project ?

Are you necessarily fixated on the "very few available projects".

Being overqualified is not necessarily a detriment if you look at an adjacent (or even a completely unrelated industry) that your skills can be transferred to for example Project management experience. In Canberra, we have a culture of contracted management positions that can result in people one day working within a law enforcement department and the next day working in a primary industry with relative ease.

Best of luck.

I don't dumb down my resume, I used to have different resumes targetted at different industries.

I included only relevant information on each, e.g. listing only the relevant parts of each job role. For example when applying for management roles I would only list the team leadership parts of a development role and for a development role mostly the development side.

Sometimes it worked and other times it didn't.

As discussed in another thread you're better approaching people you know who are hiring and using your networking contacts to get into a job rather than blind firing resumes.

Good luck in the job hunt!

Is there any way to dumb down my Resume + Work History + Education so that it does not show that I am overqualified for the project ?

Um, selectively avoid mentioning stuff? Doesn't seems to be a particularly complex task you know.

I'm not getting if this is a legitimate question or a humblebrag. Maybe both.

I'm not getting if this is a legitimate question or a humblebrag. Maybe both.

I've been in this situation. It can take many months before the right role comes along that you actually want to do.. Getting a job, just any job even a demeaning one, can be hard to do if you're over qualified.

Just finding a job in warehouse pick and pack was hard immediately after leaving university for me as every interviewer asked "so why do you want this job, with your qualifications". "I need the money" although the honest answer never went down well...

I've been in this situation. It can take many months before the right role comes along and getting a job, just any job even a demeaning one, can be hard to do if you're over qualified.

I'm not saying this isn't a thing, all I'm saying is that there is a *VERY* straightforward solution to what the OP is apparently asking.

For starters, what *ARE* your qualifications?

Second, I dunno what part of Murica you are in, but here in my city, employers would kill for an overqualified employee that they could pay less than what they are worth. Experience is everything, and if you have lots of it, employers will be on you like flies on a freshly defecated horse turd.

I get job prospects for gigs I'm technically overqualified for all the time. Only once in my life did I get shot down for being overqualified, and the reason they didn't hire me was because they were afraid I'd get bored as a straight manual QA tester with extensive dev knowledge. Plus they had to hire 2 out of 3 people, and it was their excuse not to hire me.

So please, don't worry about being overqualified. Companies are constantly looking for senior level people.

Lastly, what's wrong with targeting positions you are qualified for?

Shogun.

Lastly, what's wrong with targeting positions you are qualified for?

Just to beat the OP to the punch, I guess those jobs just aren't available right now?

In the past I've had to take any job I can get because I didn't have savings to eat into while waiting for the perfect job to come along...

Edit: this DOES raise an important question; will you jump ship for a better job when it comes along? This is rightly what employers would be scared of happening as employing someone is a big investment for them.

that there is a *VERY* straightforward solution to what the OP is apparently asking.

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Unfortunately, no there isn't . "Not mentioning things" would leave massive holes in my employment history - it would also leave me with an almost blank resume ( in some cases ).

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Second, I dunno what part of Murica you are in, but here in my city, employers would kill for an overqualified employee.

Lastly, what's wrong with targeting positions you are qualified for?

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I work in a tech industry that is dieing a slow and painful death ( read my profile ). Projects are very hard to find. As of right now, only a couple low level projects are available.

[Example]If the project description is for testing and repairing of pneumatic dampener loops, they almost definitely will not hire someone who has been involved with higher level electrical signal work for the last few years.[/Example]

Okay, I assumed you were talking about an IT related practice in the software engineering realms. If your industry is dying off, wouldn't the logical thing to do be to start changing your career path? Example, remember the milk man? They are practically non-existent these days (only 0.4% of the US population patronized such services in 2005), and the last time I saw one was like 1989, or 1990. If you are concerned about long term employment, you might want to start looking into other career opportunities.

Lastly, what's wrong with targeting positions you are qualified for?

Just to beat the OP to the punch, I guess those jobs just aren't available right now?

In the past I've had to take any job I can get because I didn't have savings to eat into while waiting for the perfect job to come along..

If he can't find such employment in his area, then maybe he should consider relocation if the right job is in another province. I don't know how his industry works, but knowing that there was no future career wise living in a dead state like Indiana, I got the hell out and moved back to my hometown. That's easier said than done if you're married with kids though, which proudly I am not I might add.

I just have the feeling that maybe there's a bit more to this situation than what's currently being assessed.

Shogun.