A sledgehammer to break eggs?

AROUND 300,000 engineers graduate every year from engineering colleges across the country. Most of them originate from the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh where technical education is big business and the acronyms, KCET, EAMCET and TNCET have taken on the sublime robes of a parental mantra chanted by over half a million parents across the country.

The word "Engineer" has been mentioned in the hushed tones of Nirvana-seekers, and generations of young people are railroaded into taking these exams so that they can become part of the select band of technical whizzes!

This club was exclusive about forty-five years ago. Today it's a dime-a-dozen situation with 300,000 engineers chasing about 13,500 jobs across the country! Obviously, they will remain at home and when the pressure gets too much, they'll go out looking for something to do.

The same goes for doctors and management professionals, who are being churned out at a terrific rate and end up paying the debt from their education for the rest of their lives. I have had qualified electronics engineers come to me for placements in a call centre I have had qualified doctors applying for jobs in pharmaceutical companies as a sales executive. I've also had a clutch of software techies come to me for a placement as customer relations executives for a telecom provider! Nine times out of ten, I don't hire them, not because they can't do the job but because they can do it all too well.

Its because they are overqualified and so I tell them. First time around they go away feeling rather flattered that I do not think the job offered is up to their standard, but this flattering feeling will not and cannot feed them and it certainly won't service a loan taken to pay for the education in the first place!

The next time they hear this, their feel-good mood sinks down to their boots. There are several reasons why my clients tend to avoid hiring over-qualified people and these are:

Companies are downsizing all the time (they like to euphemistically term it "right-sizing") and the first to go will be people who are more expensive.

You as the overqualified employee are likely to feel the axe first. Now this puts them in a quandary since they will expect you to be more aware of your rights. As a better qualified person, it is likely that you will be rather more efficient than those with the basic qualification.

If they terminate you for reasons of expense, you can sue them for unfair dismissal and discrimination. In the event they pay you the same they will still dismiss you for the reason below. Why would they want to invite the headache that they expect you to be?

One fear that my clients tell me about is the fact that you have taken up a job with them only as a stop-gap placement till something more suitable turns up. Why are you doing the job anyway?

To eat. Now at the salary they are paying you, you probably manage to meet your culinary needs, yet when another employer who is looking for just the technical skills you have, offers you a job, you'll go since it will be what you spent four years studying for. Now consider the employer who gave you the break. He has spent time, money and effort on training you, you have just begun to `settle" in. Now when you up and go away, all his investment in you becomes a waste and he needs to start all over again! I've known of employers who look at young lady aspirants in the same way.

The worry is that they will desert the ship for all the natural reasons of marriage, transfer and possibly, pregnancy. The result? They have to rehire, re-train and re-invest! After qualifying from a `professional' course your expectation is likely to be higher than those with only the basic graduate degree. Any employer would feel he is underpaying you and would be uneasy having you around as a result.

With your qualifications, it is likely that you would be able to perform better, ergo, the chances are that you'll get bored with a job that does not offer you the challenges you are trained to undertake.

Once that happens, your productivity will nosedive and the company you work for will suffer.

Employers know or suspect this and will, in consequence, hesitate to hire you! They suspect that your attitude will spread like a disease to the rest of the crew who will no doubt look up to you with your superior qualifications. Handling these issues with prospective employers will need tremendous powers of persuasion. One point in your favour would be if you convince them that the quality of your service will be better and that with less complaints coming in from customers, they will actually save money in the long term. Try and convince them of your ability to lead and motivate teams and your ability to innovate. Mention your better problem-solving skills and the way you will be able to use your professional skills to the eventual advantage of the company.

The ability to sell oneself cannot be underestimated if you ever find yourself in a position of trying for an occupation for which you are over-qualified! After all, it doesn't do to take a sledgehammer to break eggs!

ABHIMANYU ACHARYA

abhi.hyd@cnkonline.com