Caleb Yen

It’s your third month on the job, and you’re finally starting to figure out how things work. You know who Meryl in accounting is, understand the ins and outs of your product, and know just where to park.

But as the months go by, you realize that your boss has a tendency to put you down. Suddenly your ideas “just aren’t right for the current project,” or “might be better for next year.”

You aren’t being taken seriously as a person or an employee.

Discovering that your boss doesn’t respect your expertise can ruin your work ethic and drain your enthusiasm. But if you aren’t in a position to quit, here are a few ways to excel, even with a disrespectful boss.

Be Civil

You don’t have to be a jerk just because your boss is. You don’t have to like them, but don’t try to go above them to their manager or spread rumors about them at the water cooler. Also stay away from complaints or insults. Regardless of how bad they are at managing you, they’re still your boss. Trying to upset that basic dynamic makes you look like the disruptive one. That could mean losing your job.

Try to have an honest and polite conversation with your boss about any problems you have. It’s entirely possible your boss doesn’t even realize they’re doing a poor job of managing you. If you can alert them to any issues that exist without accusing them of anything, you might be able to turn a negative situation into a positive one.

But how do you do that? If your boss refuses to value your insights, how do you address the problem without offending them?

The best thing you can do in that situation is research. Back your ideas up with facts and data. If your boss says no to that, you’re dealing with a deeper problem and might want to consider rejoining the job search.

Keep it Off Social Media

This one could have gone under “Be Civil,” but it’s so important that it needs its own section. Do NOT complain about your boss or work on social media. Not even cryptic messages such as “Feeling down today…” or “People can be so awful….” Odds are that other employees, or even your manager will find these posts, and it could be grounds for termination.

Become Your Own Manager

If your boss isn’t doing their job and continues to belittle you, you might have to become your own manager. Create a personal development plan and stick to it. Volunteer for any projects that you’re interested in. Learning new things and growing as an employee can be incredible motivators on their own.

You’re also free to seek out other managers or co-workers in the office that can act as your mentors or advisors. If you can’t learn from your manager, you might as well learn from somebody else.

Let It Go

The best way to deal with a bad boss is letting the pity party end. It’s completely valid to feel down or angry when you have a boss that doesn’t respect you, however, letting that feeling control your work life can be toxic.

You’ll always have an excuse for why you didn’t try as hard as you could have on a project, or why it’s OK to come in late every once in a while. It can become easy to think along the lines of “if my boss doesn’t care, why should I?” That stifles growth.

So let it go. Try not to hate your boss, and realize that their behavior most likely has nothing to do with you. Accept that their bad attitude is their problem, and not something that’s likely to change anytime soon. Focus on yourself and your own pursuits.

And if that boss makes your life absolutely miserable, review your job and where it stands on your career path. How much longer do you need to be here? Knowing that you have an exit point can make working with a bad boss much more bearable.

Ever had a bad boss? How did you deal with it? Let us know in the comments below!

Your interview felt perfect. You knew all the answers and your resume was shining with experience. But you didn’t get the job. They said you were “overqualified.” It wasn’t an excuse. They meant it. You really and truly were overqualified.

Think you may be overqualified for the jobs you’re applying for? Here are our top tips to help you ace your next interview regardless.

Make Sure You Want It

Before doing anything else, you need to figure out whether you actually want this job or not. There are two main reasons companies turn away overqualified applicants. The first is lack of funds. They don’t have enough money set aside to pay what your experience is worth. The second is that you could be a flight risk. A late career change may be seen as a risky hire. They don’t want your time at the company to be a short detour from your main career path.

So before even applying to a position you’re overqualified for, decide why you want the job. Is it because you’re ready for a career change? If so, make sure you realize it could mean a pay cut. What matters is where you are in your life now. What you want now. Not your past salary or education. And be prepared stay at this job for at least a few years. If this is what you want, you need to commit.

Leverage Your Network

Now that you know you truly want this, it’s time to let your network know. If your potential interviewers are skeptical of whether you actually want the job or not, it’s time to bring in backup. They are more likely to trust a mutual acquaintance over a faceless applicant.

Your network can also help you find job opportunities. You might have a contact out there with a friend who would love to hire someone overqualified, but just doesn’t have the budget. You’re a perfect fit, but your contact won’t ever know it if you don’t tell them!

Tailor Your Resume

A resume is usually a chance to go all out. It’s a chance to shine, to list all of your accomplishments for the world to see. But when you’re overqualified, perhaps not all of those accomplishments are related to the position you’re applying for. It can be difficult for human resources to sift through a packed resume to find which accomplishments match up to the position.

A resume tells a story. It paints a picture of you as a potential employee. But if there are too many brush strokes, the end result might be a painting that’s too fancy for the room in which it’s being placed. Consider your words carefully, and customize your resume for the position. Focus on skills first, then accomplishments.

This is where staffing agencies can help. Recruiters are your advocates and personal brand ambassadors. Their insider knowledge allows them to highlight and promote your most marketable skills. As noted by Bettye Taylor, a recruiter from a local Express office, “a recruiter can sell the transferable skills where they will be noticed, versus those skills being glossed over when submitting a resume to a website.”

And retooling your resume can show real results. “Many times I’ve had candidates reconstruct their resume from a chronological one to a functional one, highlighting those top three to five transferable skills and functions, and then list accomplishments and achievements under those,” she says. “You won’t believe what a difference that makes.”

Be Honest

When it comes to the actual interview, be honest. Address the elephant in the room. Let the interviewer know why you’re interested in the position. If it’s because of a career change, let them know why you’re making that change. Tell them that you’re really in this for the long haul.

And be positive! Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by thinking they’ll just tell you you’re overqualified. Interviewers want to see that you’re an actual human being they would enjoy working with. So be real!

Ever had a bad boss? How did you deal with it? Let us know in the comments below!

Have you ever been rejected due to being “overqualified?” Let us know in the comments below!