Are you aiming too low in your job search?

If you are looking for a new job and getting nowhere, it is tempting to assume the problem is you.

You may think your CV is not strong enough, your interview answers need work or you need to be more flexible or more realistic with your career aspirations.

Sometimes, though, the issue is the opposite.

You may not be aiming high enough.

I was recently supporting someone with interview practice. The role she wanted to prepare for looked, to me, too junior for her experience. She explained that there did not seem to be many roles available at her level, so she had started applying for positions below it. The problem was that employers could see that she was overqualified.

That word can feel extremely frustrating when you are job hunting. But it can also be information.

If an interviewer thinks you are overqualified, they may be questioning whether the role will stretch you, whether you will stay, or whether the organisation can genuinely make use of what you bring.

The answer is not to make yourself seem smaller  but to aim for roles that are big enough for your skills, your ambition and your experience.

When this client shifted her search upwards and spoke of herself in more senior and experienced terms, she found a higher-level role where her experience was valued rather than treated as a problem.

Do not contort yourself to fit the wrong role. Get clear on the value you bring, what differentiates you, and where that will be appreciated.

If the jobs you are applying for are not yielding results, ask yourself a braver question: am I aiming too low?