Unfortunately your qualifications and experience do not match our requirements

Reformed2010

I've been applying for a job for a just over a good month now. So far the general response, when bothered to give one, is 'Unfortunately your qualifications and experience do not match our requirements' or 'Unfortunately our applicant standards have been very high. We are no longer processing your application'.

I am not suggesting I am some gift from above and I understand the current economic situation. But when I have friends who have either less experiences or qualifications than me. kind of makes you wonder, I'm I that unwanted :o:

I have 10 GCSE's A-C, 4 A levels (AACC) 4 years of work experience. Which includes paid and unpaid work. Available to for full time monday to friday and even shifts on weekends.

Still not good enough. For Mc donalds, KFC or local cinema. What do they want ? A* students?!

Anyone else receiving such responses? despite having good qualifications and experience ? :frown:

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

morecambebay

you are too qualified for those places. the manager isnt going to hire somebody that will take their job from them in a few months.

Reply 2

IGX_RSV2

I think Mcdonalds only hire those with low grades(D-U).... because people with higher grades will be able to trot off whenever they feel like it and doesnt want to keep having to hire people.

Reply 3

Iheartnerds

Tbh, you're probably over-qualified for those sorts of places...I remember being told how KFC and Maccy D's hire people with hardly any qualifications just because they know they can get away with paying them less :smile:

Reply 4

solusoracle

Story of my life right now. Sign of the times.

Just apply to as much as you can and something will come up eventually.

I had a bad response the other day for a £25,000 job, "well it came down to running with you and giving you support or giving it to the guy with experience". So frustrating.

Reply 5

barefootfiona

This is so frustrating! I've applied to half a dozen jobs this year and not even got any rejection reply or anything.

Reply 6

Reformed2010

barefootfiona

This is so frustrating! I've applied to half a dozen jobs this year and not even got any rejection reply or anything.

I share your pain. We can get into top universities and in your case the best and yet a simple job is beyond us. :rolleyes:

At first it began to demoralize me, but now I am channelling it into raw determination. I don't care if i'm overqualified, I deserve equal access to jobs! Need little bit of training ? train people! no excuses! :mad:

Reply 7

Verne_Lundquist

i've had the same experience

you are just too qualified for menial labor

hiring managers for these jobs want to hire from the unskilled proletariat because 1) they can pay minimum wage and no one will complain 2) they know that you will leave for a better job as soon as you can and 3) they aren't going to hire someone smarter than they are

Reply 8

barefootfiona

If I'm 'over-qualified' what kind of jobs can and shoudl I apply for? Secretarial work is too many hours, and I don't know what else there is! I need either part-time pemanent or full-time in holidays.

Reply 9

Verne_Lundquist

barefootfiona

it really depends on your qualifications,university, and year in university.

if you are first year student, you shouldn't be over-qualified for a lot of positions.

if you are a third year student, and you've already racked up several big-time professional services (in finance, consulting, law) summer internships, you are definitely over-qualified

Reply 10

popcornmaster

I'm in the exact same position, I've lost count of how many jobs I've applied for. I've made a couple of interviews , the rest I just got rejections or no answer I must be applying to around my 20th job this academic year. It's driving me mad, I'm unable to do anything in my Gap year as I can't find work.

Reply 11

YellowDucksOnBlueSocks

At least you apply, I smell rejection from the moment I read the the skills needed.

Reply 12

cwebbjnr

Just keep going!!

I graduated university in Oct 2008!! and have been in the same situation as you ever since. I have worked in numerous offices as a temp and have worked 3 shifts a week in a gym where I live.

Out of the 10 good friends that I made at university, 8 of them have just sacked this country off and gone to Australia because they couldn't find work. The other has a job at a joinery firm because his sister is sleeping with the owner and the other landed on his feet and got into a grad scheme. So try not to get too worried because there are tens of thousands of people in the same boat.

Over the past year I must have applied for 100's perhaps 1000s of jobs. I've had my CV sent away to be professionally written etc. I'd say out of 100 applications I've had about 10 replies and only 2 of them asking me for an interview. Both Interviewers said that they were worried that I was going to move on too quickly to other "better" jobs.

I only got the part time gym job where I am now because a friend of mine already worked there and put in a good word.

I got very depressed. 24 years old, living at home with my parents, part time job and masses of debt.

HOWEVER

The week before last I started a FULL TIME job at my local hospital in the medical records department. It's only basic admin stuff, it doesn’t pay me enough to start repaying my loan and I have to sometimes take a deep breath when I think about the 3 years spent at uni to end up working along side 19-20 year old chavs. But it's a full time job and I'm going to work hard to be the best records clerk ever!! and apply for the next pay band up when it comes about and perhaps the NHS grad scheme next time around.

Reply 13

username271381

When I applied to Boots (online), there was nowhere to enter qualifications I don't think. Most of us are college or uni students, but we have some people who are clearly 'too qualified' to be working there... It's more down to the interview, really, and a characteristics and behaviour questionnaire. You could try places like that that don't actually ask about qualifications?

Reply 14

Ed.

What about missing a few things off your CV. For instance write GCSEs but not A levels and degree. Then you will not be dismissed as overqualified.

It is lying, but missing off qualifications can't be as made as making them up .

Sneaky

cwebbjnr

Are you blindly applying for jobs on Reed? If that's the case, rejections are to be expected. Treat your potential employer seriously and you'll receive a serious response to your application.

Reply 17

Katiebabes:)

Don't give up on trying to find a job, you will find somewhere :smile:

You have lots of experience and good grades. You aren't overqualified to work in fast food places and retail though. I work at McDonalds and achieved good grades at GCSE and i'm currently currently taking four A levels, i'm also off to uni next year. I know it's a pretty bad job and most people think you have to be stupid to work there (D-U grades as someone said above) but I think it is more about personality and traits such as being a team player etc. rather than GCSE grades, so maybe it was more your interview?
Good luck with finding a job, i'm sure you will find one soon :smile:

Reply 18

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Reformed2010

Still not good enough. For Mc donalds, KFC or local cinema. What do they want ? A* students?!

No, they don't want A* students, they want people with relevant skills. The key to your problem is entirely contained within your post. Employers want to see evidence of relevant skills. Academic qualifications are completely irrelevant to MacDonalds - not bad, just irrelevant. You can work at MacDonalds with no qualifications or with a PhD, but what you will also have, and will have proved in your application, are the skills to do the job.

Virtually no part-time or temporary jobs need specific qualifications. They need relevant skills and that is what your CV should focus on. You should be able to give evidence of basic skills such as leadership and teamwork from several aspects of your life, even if you don't have much work experience.

Reply 19

Reformed2010

threeportdrift

Thank you for your advice but did you miss this part of my OP ?

4 years of work experience. Which includes paid and unpaid work. Available to for full time monday to friday and even shifts on weekends

.

Paid experience
Worked with a Local MP in his local and parliamentary offices
Worked as an administrator for a city of London company and shadowed several department managers.
Worked for YMCA on a summer activity scheme

Unpaid experience
JCR President and handled a budget of £15,000
Chaired 4 committees on my University student union counil
Was student council rep three years in a row at College
A rep for one of Europe's biggest student summer festival
Ambassador to local schools for the British Youth Council
Founded a 'rival' student magazine which was distrusted between three halls (1,000 students). By securing sponsors it was for free.
Volunteered as a school trip helper more times than I can count

Oh and I am a really nice person! and have passed all my exams.

What else do they want? :eek3: