Who would have thought that the best job advice could come from one of the most ubiquitous songs in movie history. In 1965, Julie Andrews sung “let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” If you’re stuck in a rut with your job search for a seasonal job, there’s no better advice than what Maria offered up to the children Von Trapp in “Do-Re-Mi” during the classic, “The Sound of Music.”
Start at the very beginning with an entry-level job, because it’s a very good place to start. Sometimes a successful job search means being willing to take two steps forward and one step back. Applying for positions slightly under your qualification level will make you shine among the competition. If you have lead cashier experience, think about applying for an entry-level cashier job. You’ll bring more experience than other applicants, which means you’ll need less training. Less training is extremely appealing to a hiring manager looking to hire and train a bunch of people in a short timeframe.
But be careful. You want to be sure you don’t apply for a job significantly under your skill set. If you have 15 years of management experience and you’re applying for a cashier job you probably won’t be considered. This is the dangerous “over-qualified” area some fall into during their job search. Being over-qualified means a hiring manager isn’t able to pay you what you’re worth, and that you’ll be bored in the job.
Job seekers often make excuses about being willing to take “any job,” but realistically someone significantly over-qualified for a job is much more likely to become restless and quit when something more attractive or higher paying comes around. Hiring and training new employees is costly, so hiring managers avoid hiring over-qualified candidates into entry-level jobs whenever possible.