Overqualified or Overlooked?

I took a job I could teach.

I knew how to run the team, train the new hires, and fix the broken systems.

But I was the new hire.

And no one wanted my ideas.

So I did what I thought was smart:

I kept my head down.

Tried to be humble.

Tried not to come off as “too much.”

I figured if I proved myself over time, they’d see what I could do.

But they didn’t.

They saw someone overqualified, trying too hard to fit in.

So they kept ignoring me.

Here’s the truth about being “overqualified”:

Most of the time, it’s just code for:

You don’t know how to talk about yourself in a way that makes sense to us.

That was me.

I had spent 10 years teaching high school English.

Managing 150+ students a year.

Leading meetings.

Running projects.

Training other teachers.

Writing curriculum from scratch.

But when I walked into the corporate world, I suddenly felt like none of it mattered.

Because I didn’t know how to translate it.

I was invisible in rooms I should’ve been leading.

I got passed over for projects I could’ve crushed.

And when I tried to share new ideas?

People smiled and nodded…and then did nothing.

It wasn’t a skills issue.

It was a positioning issue.

So I went back to the drawing board.

Instead of leading with my title or years of experience, I asked myself three questions:

1. What problem do I solve?

2. What’s one skill that helps me solve it?

3. Where’s one example that proves it?

I turned that into a 10-second pitch I could use in interviews, LinkedIn messages, even casual intros.

Old way:

I used to be a teacher, and now I’m looking to transition into a corporate role where I can use my communication and leadership skills.

New way:

At Newsela, every team had their own version of the truth — sales decks in one folder, case studies buried in another, and no clear way to find what aligned to the buyer journey. I built a business case for Highspot and led the rollout across revenue teams. We mapped all content to the sales process so reps could surface the right assets at each stage. Within 30 days, we had 500+ content views, 20+ team contributions, and a single trusted content hub to directly tie assets to revenue.

That same clarity?

It’s what I coach others to build, too.

Let's see it in action.

Check out Kim's new portfolio website — she has been putting in the reps to reposition her story and showcase the kind of work that starts conversations. And she didn’t add anything new. She just packaged what she has to offer differently.

It’s not about sounding impressive.

It’s about showing impact — fast.

In a way someone can understand.

See the shift?

The first one is generic and forgettable.

The second one is specific and repeatable.

That’s what strong positioning does:

It gives people a reason to remember you.

And a story to share when they advocate for you behind closed doors.

Because here’s what no one tells you about job searching:

It’s not just about skills or experience.

It’s about transferability.

You have to hand people the bridge.

Make it obvious.

Make it simple.

Or they’ll move on to someone else.

If you’re nodding right now, here’s what I want you to do:

Step 1: Forget your title. Start with the problem you love solving.

Example: “Helping confused teams get on the same page.”

Step 2: Pick one skill that helps you solve it.

Example: “Breaking complex ideas into simple frameworks.”

Step 3: Add one proof point.

Example: “I redesigned our onboarding and cut ramp-up time by 30%.”

Step 4: Say it out loud.

If it sounds clunky, fix it.

If it sounds smooth, test it in your next intro.

I call this positioning yourself like a solution, not a status.

You’re not trying to impress them.

You’re trying to solve a problem they care about.

This works if you're:

• A teacher moving into learning and development.

• A customer service rep trying to break into UX.

• A college grad with no experience but strong project work.

• A marketer who keeps getting told they’re “overqualified” for entry-level jobs but “too junior” for the rest.

You're not the problem.

Your packaging is.

When you're ready, I’m here to help you sound like the obvious choice.