[MillenialMan]

Do people really pass on candidates that often because they're too impressive? Overqualification in general seems like the kind of spectre that I just can't see translating to the real world.

[satyrnein]

Not an automatic rejection, but it certainly requires a conversation. I recently had to go back to a candidate to triple check that she really, really was fine not leading a team anymore, with no timetable on when that might happen again. After a few days, she withdrew. We were bummed, because she was great, but we had suspected it wasn't really what she was looking for.

[cableshaft]

Sometimes that's the case, though. I've led teams before, and I don't mind going back to just head down focused on code again. Leading people tends to be more lucrative but also dulls the coding blade.

[satyrnein]

Certainly, people's preferences change, their lives change, etc. Nothing wrong with that, just have to make sure all parties are aligned.

And yes, my blade is quite dull at this point!

[starkd]

Are people really passed on for being over-qualified? Or is it a polite way of declining some applications? Or maybe even a little of both?

[MaKey]

I was passed on because I was overqualified for a position. I'm thankful for that because I found a much better fitting position a few months later.