by Abbie Long

Question: I recently moved back here to be closer to my aging parents.

During my 15 years away, I had the fortune of working as a marketing executive for several successful international companies. My prior experience and salary history seem to be making it hard for me to find a job despite my willingness to work for a much lower salary.

I keep hearing “you are too qualified. There is no way we can pay anything close to what you were making.”

Shouldn’t they be excited to get someone with years of experience?

Answer: The two-tiered National Terrorism Advisory System seeks to communicate information regarding job candidates who pose a credible, specific and impending threat to the interviewer or company’s goals and objectives.

According to guidelines, you have been classified as an overqualified mastermind behind a looming attack. It is up to you to make sure you stay one step ahead of your target.

Take time to scrutinize yourself according to the following job rebel checklist to ensure “you are too qualified” is not being used to cover up the real reason you are not being hired.

* Are your personality and your appearance well suited for the job?

* Is your ability to keep up with the pace of the work environment as well as your reliability strongly and effectively communicated during the interview?

* Is there another candidate slated for the job?

Should you happen to uncover a hidden problem area in yourself or in your circumstances, fix it. If no new issues are identified, use the results as positive proof of your over-qualified classification status.

Reassurance is important because it will help keep your self-doubt under control, which in turn will help keep your confidence from becoming compromised. If your self-confidence drops below 100 percent during an interview, it would become unrealistic to expect a company to hire you when you are not your biggest advocate.

Often an employer becomes threatened by a very qualified candidate’s potential to outshine him or to take his job. This thinking represents how the majority of managers in the workforce operate because they only know how to manage and not lead.

A manager who is also a leader embraces the potential for change a qualified candidate brings because he recognizes it as an opportunity for growth within himself and his company whereas a manager who does not possess the qualities resists the opportunity for change because he sees it as a threat to his security.

Don’t lose hope and never relinquish faith. You have only heard “no” because a much bigger and better “yes” awaits. All it takes is one second for things to shift in your favor.

As you continue your efforts, invest extra time into developing the tactics used by the smartest and most illusive job search masterminds. Familiarize yourself with emerging industry trends. Consider developing a niche for a marketing area not already saturated.

Make sure your resume and any other job seeking tools adequately represent the reasons you think a company should hire you. Network to see what worked for your peers and try to adjust your self-promotion approach accordingly. Never rule out the possibility to consult or work on a contract basis.

Any potential employer who sounds the alarm on your talent does not see the value you could add to his company and is not one with whom a lasting professional relationship is likely to develop. Maximize the effectiveness of your infiltration tactics by applying them to an employer whose desire is to promote your growth rather than to stunt it.

Abbie Long is a Franklin native and advice columnist for The Tidewater News. Submit your questions to askabbie@tidewaternews.com.