I am finishing my master’s but am finding it hard to get a job. Am I overqualified?
I am about to finish a master’s in history at a very good university and also have a 2:1 in history from another great university, both Russell group institutions. I have a year’s experience of working as a fundraising manager for a national charity, giving me a wealth of experience in different areas – for example, public speaking, event management and customer care.
Although this was great, I found it a bit admin-heavy, which was when I decided to leave to do a master’s – something I had always wanted to do and that I felt would increase my employability. Recently, I have started looking for jobs and have applied for the ones that have appealed to me and my skill set/experience, all with no luck. These have all been directly related to my professional and academic experience, and I felt I hit every point on the personal specifications.
I have asked for feedback but have not had any yet. I am starting to worry that I will not be able to find a job that pays me enough to pay back my student loans and provide me with an iota of job satisfaction. I am a bit lost as to what I want to do and feel a master’s may be a disadvantage, as I am overqualified for many graduate jobs but not experienced enough for senior roles.
I have considered a PGCE but can’t afford the £5,000 tuition, and history teaching jobs seem few and far between. Ideally, I would like a job with similar skills to those needed in fundraising management but in a more creative environment.
Jeremy says
You continue to toy with the thought of teaching, yet when you first graduated, you seem not to have pursued it as a career but instead took a job as a fundraising manager with a charity. That seems to have suited you and had it not been admin-heavy, you might have stayed with it. Instead, you plunged back into further education. You’ve since been learning the hard way that academic qualifications may be essential for some careers but for many they’re simply a reassurance to potential employers that the applicant is intelligent enough.
Once you had been offered that fundraising job, for example, of what direct value, to you or the charity, was your 2:1 in history? I suspect you recently considered a PGCE not because teaching had suddenly become attractive but because it is a career where your master’s would have some worth. And that’s a poor reason for embarking on a life’s work.
You need to come to terms with a new reality: neither your degree nor your master’s will make you magically employable. Instead of listing what you want from a job, try turning the question on its head. What skills, knowledge and experience can you offer that would make employing you a shrewd move?
Your experience as a fundraiser and the skills it encouraged will be of more interest to potential employers – from marketing to recruitment. And any institution setting out to raise money for the purpose of restoring its past status and glory should find your interests and experience unusually appropriate. Only the salary may prove a problem.
Readers say
• You could look into roles that focus on an element of fundraising you enjoyed such as events, community fundraising or perhaps volunteer management. Or look into other roles alongside fundraising that have similar functions – campaigns, communications, digital or alumni relations might be of interest. If you wanted to crack the private sector then marketing, direct marketing and communications require similar skills. fourbiscuitsplease
• I don’t think having one year’s graduate work experience plus a master’s makes you overqualified. Look more widely at what’s out there. For example, you might see an interesting role at an organisation you might not have previously considered. Or you could take a punt on something not directly related to your interests and find you click with the hiring manager. Think about what’s important to you. Interesting work sounds important but there will probably be other things – eg career progression, level of salary. It’s OK to make compromises so you have some things you want but not others. sheendig
• I work for a charity where the fundraising role is hands-on. The more responsibility you take on, the more admin you will be expected to do. You must have been drawn to history for a reason. Are there any museum trusts or heritage funds that have fundraising departments where your experience and qualifications could be put to use? Loulu
How do I shrug off my image as a pushover and appear strong and decisive?
I am 28 and about to move to a managerial position at a tiny startup. I am good at my job and feel confident I can make a success of the role. But the thought that I am a pushover has weighed heavily on my mind since a brutal interview at a large organisation over five years ago, and a boss – who was somewhat cross I’m leaving – has said it again in the past few weeks.
While it’s true I prefer to hear all points of view before deciding on the right way forward, I don’t believe in decision by committee. I find the criticism infuriating, but I do struggle with strong personalities (particularly stubborn and sulky chaps who see me as a silly young girl). Can you offer any insight on how to appear strong and single-minded, while adopting a careful decision-making process?
Jeremy says
Shaking off a negative workplace reputation can be difficult as long as you remain in the same organisation. The good news is that you’re about to move to a new company and that, happily, does provide an opportunity to make a fresh start. But I’m certainly not going to recommend you change your behaviour completely.
Setting out to “appear” strong and single-minded, when your instinct continues to be reflective and considered, would deceive no one and could well lead you to make apparently decisive judgments that you later regret.
You’re now a manager and the way you manage is up to you. So make it explicitly clear from the beginning that you’re not a fan of overtly dynamic decision-making, nor of compromise for its own sake. You believe in listening to all points of view and only then committing to a particular course of action. In other words, be strong and single-minded in making the case for the way you intend to work.
Readers say
• Stick to the style that suits you. Team-based consensual decision-making can be an inclusive form of successful management, especially in a small startup. Stop worrying about being a pushover and focus on doing what you think is fair.
expatalan
• I have suffered from the same “silly girl” treatment my whole working life. I found that focusing on what I wanted to say and saying just that helped. Next time you are in a tense negotiation, decide what is best (from your and others’ views) and argue it. Stay firm. Rider22
