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"You\u2019ve been a dutiful job seeker for a while, and finally, you\u2019ve found a position ... that you could do blindfolded. But after you\u2019re called in for an interview, the hiring manager utters the dreaded \u201Co\u201D word \u2014 overqualified. Still, you really want this position. Here\u2019s what you need to do when you\u2019re overqualified for a job.\nBe Honest\nIt will be immediately obvious to your interviewer that you are overqualified for the position, and there\u2019s nothing wrong in saying so. After all, if you don\u2019t bring it up, the hiring manager surely will. So, have a game plan ready for when the question comes up. There are many reasons for someone to take a position that is considered below them. Maybe the job offers you the option to  telecommute, which is what you need at this stage of your career. Or maybe it\u2019s a fifteen-minute commute door to door, or a job with a company that you\u2019ve always wanted to work for. Whatever the case, you should be honest about your intentions.\nFocus On How You Can Help\nAll your extensive workplace experience can either help you or harm you during an interview. It\u2019s up to you to offer some perspective to your potential boss by showcasing your skills, and then explain how those skills can help the company. Maybe you helped bring your previous company back from the brink of bankruptcy. Or, your business acumen helped seal a merger with a Fortune 500 company. Learn everything you can about the needs of your prospective company, and be ready to show how your expertise can help it accomplish those goals. \nModify Your Resume\nMost people enhance some part of their resumes to make themselves look more qualified and skilled than they actually are. But when you\u2019re already overqualified for a job, you need to do the exact opposite. Look for areas in which you can trim down some of your previous experience so that you are still qualified for the position, but not overqualified. That way, a hiring manager will most likely call you in for an interview without tossing your resume on the \u201Cpass\u201D pile.\nOffer A Commitment\nThe biggest fear that a potential boss faces when hiring someone who is overqualified is that he or she will get bored with the job after a while and then quit, leaving the company to start the time-consuming \u2014 and expensive \u2014 hiring process all over again. Ensure that you have no plans of leaving \u2014 sometimes employers may want you to sign a contract to confirm that you will work with the company for at least 12-18 months. But you should only sign an agreement if you\u2019re truly willing to dedicate that time to the organization.\nTake Salary Off the Table\nWith your expertise and experience, a hiring manager might assume you\u2019ll want a higher starting salary than another candidates. Make it clear that your previous positions \u2014 and earnings \u2014 will not inflate your salary requirements. Stress that you are looking for a salary that reflects the job's current market value \u2014 and that you also are open to negotiation. That will help smooth the way to getting a second interview, and hopefully a cold hard job offer. \nMashable Job Board Listings\nThe Mashable Job Board connects job seekers across the U.S. with unique career opportunities in the digital space. While we publish a wide range of job listings, we have selected a few job opportunities from the past two weeks to help get you started. Happy hunting!\n\nSocial Media Community Manager at Factory 360 in New York, N.Y.\nDirector of International Marketing at Zoosk. Inc in San Francisco, Calif.\nCommunity Manager at Uber in Atlanta, Ga.\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/06/29/overqualified/>