Qualification, More Certifications and Over-Qualification: Which is which in Getting a Job?

Since when did being over-qualified become an issue in occupying a position? I think the better the better. How warped that can be when it comes to landing an honest job.

In the present world, being not qualified is fast becoming irrelevant, and being over-qualified is now becoming the ‘resident evil’ that must be dealt with when it comes to the issue of why more people are being kept out of job.

To go by the way of story-telling: I once approach a young man who runs an internet café, and I told him I would love to work with him if he would be willing. I have been one of his enterprising customers.

He was obviously astonished, almost embarrassed at such a request; probably because he was aware of the kind of person I am, the class of people I move with and the qualification I had in view. In order to clear the cloud, I told him I wish to learn the trade from him and that learning, and not necessarily earning, is my goal.

He most likely knows I would be more than capable to run the business for him but I believe he was pretty much intimidated. My pedigree was quite intimidating to him.

In recent times, most jobs and positions that are available are getting more people that are more than qualified competing for the positions.

How did we get ourselves into such a position in the first place?

It all began when we became fooled into thinking that getting more certifications will make us better off at competing for positions.

The illusion itself stems from the competitive mentality that we have sustained over the years.

Not that I am against competition totally, it has its benefits, but we have been fooled into thinking that more certifications mean more advantage. At some point in time, that was the case, but most people are now disadvantaged due to this singular reason in the labor market.

The situation is very proverbial; leaving leprosy to cure ringworm.

More certification has its place, but its place should be about personal development and efficiency than job security. We have left creating jobs suitable for the certificates for creating more certificates for every single job or position.

My position is that if we believe that it is possible for every person, who is capable and willing, to be gainfully employed, we will move toward a direction indicating such belief. But what is inferable from the society is quite the opposite.

We will rather talk of competitive price, competitive salary and benefits and so on than talk of more jobs than there are people to do.

Where is the money to pay everyone going to come from? Ok. I do not know the details of the present economics than fancy the economics of such utopia. But I will parry with this question:

Is it not us who defines the economics that now describe and constrain us presently into a competition minded set of people? And why can’t we go back to the root of our economics and assume this are the days of Adam Smith, ‘smithing’ a new and relevant economics?

Certification is good, but more certification is becoming not so good. Not that having more certificates is in itself bad, but it has become so abused that it is fast losing its meaning and purpose, whatever that meaning and purpose is.

In the sense of securing a job it can become a disadvantage.

Like you are well aware that motivation is largely the essence of the writings in this place, I will not leave you to feel absurd or helpless concerning the state of things.

I want you to have this excuse made for every position you feel more than qualified for but you are not approved for: You are too qualified not unqualified (that is if you are very qualified); your pedigree is quite a great one, you are not meant to be just anywhere nor everywhere; your qualifications are too impressive and darn intimidating.

Seriously, this is more serious than I am trying to paint it. Being more qualified is the new syndrome affecting most job seekers, and it is more serious than being less qualified.

Having to lose a job opportunity or position to being more qualified is more depressing than losing one knowing you are not qualified for the position in the first place (the latter shouldn’t be a problem, get ‘more certifications’).

The danger in this trend is that very soon (I hope this is not a prophecy, and if it is may it not come to pass), more jobs will be available to people who are not qualified than will be for people who are qualified. If this should continue, then we would have found out too late that there is no such thing as over-qualification.