By: Bev Weinstein

Recently a job seeker asked, “How can I express through my resume (digital or traditional) that, although I may seem overqualified for a position, I am invested in the opportunity and not just looking for a pay check?”

In a market with more candidates than jobs, a willingness to be flexible on title and salary is more and more commonplace. So how do you position yourself as a genuinely interested and qualified candidate versus someone that’s overqualified, needs a job and will jump ship when a better opportunity comes along?

A lot of candidates turn to “dumbing down” their resume, omitting certain experiences, and even changing past job titles. While they might get more call-backs with a skinnier CV, there are other ways to handle this issue while remaining honest and staying true to the experience you do possess.

For some expert advice I turned to the Cable and Telecommunications Resources Association (CTHRA), a nonprofit organization with 1,500 members representing over 100 companies. The following is some great advice from a sampling of their members:

CTHRA: We have two pieces of advice. First, abandon a traditional resume format focused on titles and promotions, and instead create a resume that highlights significant accomplishments and experiences. Emphasize your span of control, impact on the bottom-line and contributions to the overall health and growth of the organization. We believe a bio format helps focus the recruiter/hiring manager on the relevant skills and qualifications and frees them from focusing merely on level or title.

Next, leverage your cover letter (if using a print CV) or your online resume to:

1. Call attention to the credentials you have that match the description of the position;
2. Specify that your prior experience will allow you to have a greater impact on the organizational goals sooner than less experienced candidates;
3. And explain that you are seeking more than a job title and detail the characteristics that you admire in their company: financial security, potential for upward mobility, reputation, health and welfare benefits, etc.

Q: Should an applicant downgrade his or her former job title(s) on a resume, say from an SVP to a VP?

CTHRA: Never put anything on your resume that isn’t true. You’re working to prove to a potential employer that you are honest and trustworthy. The last thing you want is to lose credibility by being caught in a lie.

Keep in mind that most hiring managers recognize that titles are indicative of an organization’s culture and they tend to vary from company to company. So a VP title in a smaller company may be equivalent to a director title in a larger organization.

If you’re applying for a VP level position in a similar profession and recently held a SVP or higher position, focus attention on your skills, qualifications and contributions instead of the title.

Q: If your resume lands you an interview with the hiring manager, should the candidate bring up the issue of being overqualified?

CTHRA: No. We advise candidates against using the word overqualified in an interview to avoid appearing arrogant and a poor fit for the job. Also, imagine if the hiring manager has doubts about the person’s qualifications, but the candidate starts talking about being overqualified. Then the candidate comes off as presumptuous. It’s best to simply avoid using the word at all.

Bev Weinstein is a media virtuoso and career advice guru. She is the founder and president of Markham Media Executive Search, one of New York’s premier recruiting firms, and a career advice columnist on MediaPost’s MediaDailyNews.com. Check out the columns and ask your own questions on http://dearbev.com Check out a recent column in which Bev recommended VisualCV as her number one recommendation for online resume creation here.