Used by employers to describe job seekers who have one of three points working against them:

• Too many years of work experience
• Too much education
• Too highly paid in their previous employment

An example of an overqualified job seeker would be an office supervisor applying for a job as a typist or somebody who has been working in retail for many years applying for a junior position.

This situation also frequently applies when a worker is “downscaling”, choosing to remain in the work force, but under less stress, and/or with more flexibility in time management.