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The recession may be over, but it’s still a tough job market out there. MSNBC reports that the Bureau of Labor Statistics observed that 46 percent of unemployed workers have been searching for more than 27 weeks. Meanwhile others find that they just don’t want the pressure and trouble of a high powered senior-level job.

Whether you’re just tired of climbing the corporate ladder or find yourself facing job rejection after job rejection, there may come a time when the job search turns to jobs we may be overqualified to fill. So how do you approach this job? Interviewers see overqualified candidates as people who will leave the job as soon as something better comes along and of course you really do want/need the job.

First, downplay your resume. Don’t lie, but highlight areas of your work history that showcase a higher skill set. Focus your resume on the number one need for the job.

Next tackle the commitment question you know you’re going to get. Let the interviewer know that you plan on sticking around for a bit (consider an 18-month period) and that you’ll offer more productivity than a junior-level person. If you have a hobby, try to use it to further explain why you’re looking for lower-level jobs. For instance, perhaps you want to work as an administrator so that you have a more defined schedule and time to develop your writing or interest in art.

Los Angeles job coach David Couper even suggests being frank about the economy and its effect on your job search. Be excited about the job opening while making sure to express a desire to move up in the company.

When it comes to salary, it’s good to play it cool. If you can, don’t mention it at all, if you can’t then assure the interviewer that salary will not be an issue as you can work something out or suggest that you simply expect a pay in line with the position’s current pay grade.

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