Job Demotion

Maybe you find yourself applying for a job that you're overqualified for. Your interviewer will notice this and will likely ask you about it. The question will usually come up early in the interview process and might even be asked in the phone interview. Your interviewer will want to know why you want to take on the job when you're obviously qualified to take on a more senior position.

The employee is likely to be angry or upset, and may balk, object or plead. Stay firm in your decision and be clear about the options you're presenting (i.e., "You have two choices: either you can accept this new position I've just described to you, or you can choose to resign from the company").

Refer to your history of loyalty and performance at previous jobs without bucking for a fast promotion. Emphasize that you're looking for a long-term fit and are happy to do the job at hand for however long it best suits the employer. Try offering examples of how you found opportunities for professional growth in previous positions you held for considerable periods.

Obviously you don't want to say, "I'm happy to waste away forever in a job that rarely tests me." So if you aren't sure where you'd like to end up down the road, say: "I'm excited to learn as much as possible about your organization while I do my job every day. I'm confident that as time passes and you see how well I contribute, the company will offer me other opportunities." It'll help to show you've already proven you can grow in earlier jobs as required.

Which should not come as a surprise to the employee. That's because poor performance should be documented and based on objective criteria, and it should be backed by periodic feedback that you've given the employee.

In fact, speak as if the entire conversation is being recorded, to be replayed in front of a jury.

In some cases, the job title of your new position - if you have been demoted - will clearly indicate a lower level of responsibility. For example, if you were demoted from sales manager to salesperson or from customer service director to customer service associate.

Don't use any negative language like "demoted" on your resume when you list the change. You should simply list the positions separately, and describe the skills and accomplishments associated with each job.

Be sure to line up some recommendations as part of your LinkedIn profile from colleagues who can attest to the value you added in that higher level job, and include your profile on your resume.

At this point the interviewer might actually have some interest in hiring you. Now show them the clear benefits in bringing you onboard instead of someone else.

Best-case scenario: Give the employee the option to leave on good terms with a generous severance package. Worst-case scenario: Ask the employee to collect his belongings and leave the premises.

Addressing the issue in your resume is not a problem, said Ann Robbins, senior vice president of Right Management Consultants.

You can give an overview of your employers without having to list dates for each job you held there.

In other words, your resume might list each company where you worked, with the most recent one first, and one time period for your entire history there, such as August 1994 to December 1998. For each company, you might list your job titles with descriptions of what you accomplished in those positions. Start with the highest-level position first.

Present details on the new position that you'll be offering the employee (job title, chain of command, responsibilities, pay, benefits, etc.).