overqualified

[oh-ver-kwol-uh-fahyd]

adjective

1. having more education, training, or experience than is required for a job or position.

overqualified

/ ˌəʊvəˈkwɒlɪˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. having more managerial experience or academic qualifications than required for a particular job

Word History and Origins

Origin of overqualified¹

First recorded in 1950–55; over- + qualified

Example Sentences

James Van Der Beek has to miss the live ‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunion due to illness but says a ‘ridiculously overqualified’ understudy will fill in: Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Gen Z women participate in the workforce at higher rates than their male counterparts, and often accept jobs they’re overqualified for rather than not working.

Read more on Salon

This explains why I keep hearing from job seekers who say they’ve been rejected for being overqualified.

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Employers’ concerns about overqualified job applicants are understandable but can be unwarranted.

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To explain these motives, overqualified job seekers have to land interviews.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal