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Tobias *, 54, Dipl. Ing. Nachrichtentechnik, asks:
I lost my job as an IT manager half a year ago. Because my company was taken over by another company that has integrated my department into the existing IT structure there. For me, I see this as a chance to step back in the hierarchy and thus have less responsibility and less burden.
I do not want to argue so much about strategies and company policy, but prefer to work more on new technologies. That's why I would like to lead a small team in IT service or network operations. But my applications for jobs are all unsuccessful. I would be overqualified, it is said again and again. What can I do?
Hello, tobias,
At first glance, I can understand your goals, and what motivates you, well. At second glance, I wonder if they will actually feel less pressure by stepping back in the hierarchy. For what feelings of responsibility people feel and how they deal with conflicts are a matter of personality - and less the position.
So you will have to deal with that in your next position, even if you are only leading a small team. If you work with a boss who likes to delegate, your time load will also hardly diminish. You also have to expect financial losses. All this should be considered in your decision.
Nonetheless, if you continue to take a step backwards in your career, the success of your project depends very much on how credible you are about your motivations. As you have already noticed, a potential career stepback is viewed with skepticism by potential employers.
Although there are already many positive examples of non-linear career paths, time-outs, changes in function and sector or the change of management and expert functions often make personnel managers doubt the competence and motivation of applicants. Unfortunately.
In many minds, the ideal image of the steady upward career is still firmly anchored. If someone wants to deviate from that, this is critically questioned. Unconscious prejudices and wrong conclusions with HR managers or supervisors then lead to you not being invited to the job interview.
So dispel the doubts
You have to think ahead of time what reservations your counterpart might have, then go into your application documents and finally settle the doubts in the job interview. Here are five examples:
Working style: In your previous management function you were used to delegating. Your supervisor might be worried that you are not getting into detail work. In your resume you should therefore show that even as a manager you were often busy with details. In the covering letter, take up professional tasks from the job advertisement and express your interest in them.
Lack of know-how: It is also important that you name your technical expertise in the technologies and methods that are relevant in the future. If you have attended trade fairs and congresses, completed advanced training courses or also unpaid internships and internships, you should cleverly integrate this into your "story".
Competition with the boss: The potential new boss might fear that you will go in opposition to him because you have the potential for his job and perhaps critically evaluate his decisions. Therefore, play down your leadership skills by using words like "cooperative, team player and helpful"
Unrest in the team: Avoid any hints, suggesting craving. Your experience as a leader alone could bring disquiet to the team because colleagues see you as a potential new competitor for the informal departmental hierarchy. A harmonious boss will want to avoid this as much as possible. You may be able to explain how your team has been promoting your team as a mentor to your younger colleagues.
Latent Dissatisfaction: You may also be accused of considering stepping back only as a threat of unemployment and leaving the team at the earliest opportunity for more attractive, better-paid job options. You must therefore expect that your motivation is questioned intensively. Debunk such doubts with a sound reasoning.
Ideally, you can prove your desire for a more specialized job with earlier career decisions. Make reference to periods of high job satisfaction. The more concrete you are, the more credible you are.
My recommendation: Please revise your documents according to these tips. And take the opportunity to inquire in advance in a short phone call to the advertised position. This allows you to identify possible objections to your application at an early stage - and to credibly rebut it with your cover letter and the hopefully following job interview.
