Until that last few months, it has been years since I have been in a position to send out a resume. In fact, because I have been a professional musician in academic or quasi-academic positions (specifically as a sacred musician--churches, especially at the level at which I have worked are very interested in academic credentials, publishing and performing histories) when I have searched for a job it was a detailed Curriculum Vitae which was appropriate rather than the standard business resume.
Worse, I am attempting to change careers. In the middle of an economic Depression. I know, it seems counter-intuitive. However having had my salary drastically cut in my last music position--cut so far in fact that I could not afford to continue in the job--it's actually a decent idea for me to attempt this.
The problem I run in to, however, is "overqualification". Which I will explore over the fold...
My resume reflects the fact that I have been a professional musician for the past 25 years. During that time, I have also done a number of non-music related jobs, mostly earlier on before I attained the kind of positions which allowed me to work solely as a musician. Interestingly, when I am able to get an interview I have become very good at translating some of the administrative and supervisory skills which go with running a large parish's music program into the kinds of skills which the prospective employer is looking for in a candidate. In fact several prospective employers I have spoken with were amazed, for instance, at the fact that I have supervised 100-plus employees and volunteers and handled a departmental budget of upwards of 250 thousand dollars annually.
The problem I seem to run in to is the fact that, when it comes down to it, I am told that I am "overqualified". Recently I was one of two final candidates for a college recruiting job (which is precisely the kind of second career I am looking for) that I had "too much management experience" for the position. Which is, frankly, hogwash.
The conventional wisdom about overqualification is that employers are afraid that the employee will bolt as soon as a better prospect emerges. Which, I suppose, in times of booming economic growth like the mid to late 90's, is very understandable thinking. In this economy, however, the question must be asked "What better job? There are no jobs, period". This particular situation with the recruiting job was particularly interesting because they also hired someone else who was already working over someone (me) who has been unemployed for several months. (I should note that because churches are not obligated to provide unemployment benefits, very few do. I have been out of work since the end of April without the benefit of unemployment insurance). Lots of employers are playing that game, too, favoring those with jobs over those without. They seem to figure that if you got laid off there must have been a good reason for it and that is counted as a strike against you. But if you are the guy looking for work, it sure feels like being kicked while you're down, especially if in every way you are qualified for the position, as I was.
So I consider this business with building a resume. There are lots of things I can leave off of a resume that would appear in my CV, such as guest conducting or recitals performed at colleges and universities. The admissions department at a college is not interested in this. The problem comes with job titles. When the bulk of the first page of one's resume is full of job titles such as "Director of Music" all they see is management. Which it is, of course. "How do I get around this?" I ask myself. I could, reasonably, change that to "Choirmaster and Organist" which is accurate, but also dishonest because that was not my title and not the one that would be used if they were to call and check. I even consulted a resume specialist. "There's very little you can do except downplay your duties".
You might be asking why I want to change careers. It's simple, really. I'm not leaving music all together. And may go back to working for the church or doing some adjunct work at a college in the future. However, at this point I am completely burned out. I have served large parishes, including prominent downtown churches in places like Houston and Boston. Church musicians are woefully underpaid in comparison to clergy who have the same level of higher education. Vestries, Parish Councils, worship committees and indeed members of one's own choir tend to treat us very, very poorly and take a "we know better" approach and can be extremely abusive. One gets tired. I'm tired. I'm in my 40's. My savings is gone. simply put, I need to make more money. Plus, the openings are simply not there at the moment. No one is leaving their job, and many churches and universities are simply not hiring people like me at the moment.
So what to do? I'm going to experiment with toning down my resume a little as the specialist advised me. And since I tailor each one I send out to the specific requirements of each position I apply for, I can customize that a bit based on how I perceive both the company and the job. But it's unbelievably frustrating to be constantly told one is "overqualified". It's almost as if it is a strike against you to have had a successful career so far. If I were doing the hiring, I would take a look at a guy with a successful resume--even if it were in a position very different from the one I was hiring for--and think to myself "this guy can make a go of anything". Perhaps that's why I have spent so many years as a successful manager. And why no one seems to want me in their department.
The reason I have written this diary is because I suspect that in this economic climate, there are probably quite a few of you out there in the same or similar position. I invite you to share your experiences in the comments, if you care to. And for all of you looking for work as I am, I wish us all the best of luck in getting back to work. Peace.