Overqualified? Yes, but Happy to Have a Job

[tonysam]

Don Carroll, once a financial analyst, is now a claims manager for a moving company, working with Diana Quinn, an adjuster.

But he had been out of work for six months, and the department badly needed modernization after several decades of benign neglect. It turned out to be a perfect match.

After being hired in December, Mr. Carroll, 31, quickly set about revamping the four-person department, which settles damage claims from moves, and creating tracking tools so the company could better understand its spending.

Conventional wisdom warns against hiring overqualified candidates like Mr. Carroll, who often find themselves chafing at their new roles. (The posting for his job had specified “bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.”) But four months into his employment, it seems to be working out well for all involved.

It is a situation being repeated across the country as the aspirations of many workers have been recalibrated amid the recession, enabling some companies to reap unexpected rewards.

More from the New York Times

[Brickbat]

1. And thus we're trained to be grateful for any crumb we can wrest from the table.

[Donnachaidh]

12. yep. we're getting trained to take the crumbs and think it's MARVELOUS that they give them

And that goes along with the brainwashing that signing bills giving billions of dollars in profit to corporations is a Big F*cking Deal.

:eyes:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. It's A Two Edged Sword

If an employee takes a job that he is overqualified and underpaid for what's to prevent him or her to use that job to find a better one if and when the economy improves.

[amborin]

4. a whole generation lost

with no end in sight

people will be in these jobs for decades

[pitohui]

7. because working at a lesser job prob. traps him in the lesser "track" forever

sure he is going to try to improve his life and shitty situation, but he is unlikely to be able to do it so well as he would have done if he had spent his entire career track in good, well-paying jobs that have some relevance to his qualifications

what job will this guy be able to get except other job for which he is ALSO "over" qualified? he's pretty much screwed forever if this goes on too long

ever noticed how when women take off a long time to raise babies, they never make as much or get as good a job again (the so-called "mommy" track?) -- same thing, you've been out of a career field, your "experience" in a lesser job (no matter how good a job you did or no matter how "important" you may spin that job to be to society) is not gonna get you that much

you can't negotiate for a high salary when they KNOW you're willing to work for less (his case) or even NOTHING (the mommies)

[Greyhound]

3. "aspirations of many workers have been recalibrated" .

At least it sounds like he managed to work long enough to pay off his school loans.

WorkCamp America®, Because we say so.

[sandnsea]

5. This is what supporting local business looks like

You either support this - or you support corporate America and Wall Street. The only other employment option is to buy the business yourself. I don't understand the complaint with this job.

[pitohui]

6. people refuse to believe reality, which is small businesses are usu. GOP plus shitty pay

the complaint w. the job is, i'm sure, shitty pay after expensive training, which is the reality for anyone who can't get on the corporate fast track, you're going to get shitty pay and inferior benefits, small local businessfolk always have some reason why they're entitled to screw you and you should eat shit sandwich and call it chicken

bad as corporate america/wall street may be, the pay is better and better benefits are regulated by federal law

self -employment (buying the business yourself) is for gamblers, most small businesses eventually fail or provide only a bare living, being willing to gambling your family's future is a little bit selfish and sociopathic in and of itself

at the end of the day, for most people, security lies in well paid, well regulated jobs in decent-sized businesses, not crumbs at local firms

people who fantasize about supporting local business should be required to work for them for at least five years

[Gaedel]

11. A bit of a disconnect

FIRST:

"the complaint w. the job is, i'm sure, shitty pay after expensive training, which is the reality for anyone who can't get on the corporate fast track, you're going to get shitty pay and inferior benefits, small local businessfolk always have some reason why they're entitled to screw you and you should eat shit sandwich and call it chicken"

SECOND:

"self -employment (buying the business yourself) is for gamblers, most small businesses eventually fail or provide only a bare living, being willing to gambling your family's future is a little bit selfish and sociopathic in and of itself"


OK, opening a small business is risky because they fail or only provide a bare living to the owner, yet the owners of small businesses are turds because they pay low salaries and provide no benefits.

SO:

"at the end of the day, for most people, security lies in well paid, well regulated jobs in decent-sized businesses, not crumbs at local firms
people who fantasize about supporting local business should be required to work for them for at least five years"


Therefore, Walmart good and "mom and pop" stores bad?

[cutlassmama]

8. In the end this will hurt his career track. The fact that he took less money

for a job after making more will tell prospective employers that he's willing to settle for less. He may never get back to where he was.

[Greyhound]

9. Yes, he's done.

Hopefully, financial analyst wasn't the career of his dreams 'cause he ain't getting back there.

All those years and all that money, stolen to make rich people richer, and another family loses.

[treestar]

10. In a bad economy, it is understandable

People paint employers as so unreasonable. I'd admire someone who worked for what he could get during these difficult times rather than just not working until he could get a bigger job.

They know the economy was tough.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. How About Employers Who Are Using This Economy To Low Ball People ?

~

[tonysam]

14. kick n/t