This evening on LinkedIn there was a thread on the Job Angels Group discussing “What’s your view on accepting a position for which you or an applicant are overqualified?” As you can imagine, there was a full range of views from “take it” to “not on your life” along with everything in between.
For a long time I shared the views of many posters; that somehow because of my age and experience I was “overqualified” to perform certain forms of work. That somehow I considered myself better than the individual who was willing to accept such a job. Then life has a way of changing everything. It varies from person to person. For me, the catalyst for change was the dying process of a loved one; seeing, feeling, and knowing my Mom relied on others for even the most basic of needs… from eating and dressing to bathing and toileting. It is then I learned I was not too good to care for and clean after anyone; especially someone who once cared for and cleaned up after me! It is then I learned that every experience in life may be viewed as an opportunity or a challenge. It’s all in how you choose to view it.
Today I would graciously accept whatever position I am offered as every position in life has value. Upon accepting the position, I would then perform whatever I am asked with great love for my life would then have purpose. As I go about my new job, I would then learn as much I can from even the simplest of tasks as I am humble enough to realize that I am not “overqualified” to learn. Afterward, I would share my experience and knowledge with others so everyone benefits.
The secret to making it in life… good economy or bad… is to keep an open mind. It starts by surrendering yourself to the realization that no one is “overqualified” to learn. It continues by being very thankful for every opportunity presented to you, however small. You soon discover that a whole host of unexpected opportunities follow. Most of all, you are truly humbled by having made a real difference; not only to the company you worked for, but in the lives of every person you touched along the way.
Remember … touch a life today “The Little Way” by following the lead and need of others. Also, if you ever thought to yourself, “I wish my customers, knew…”, then be sure to visit White Light Communications at http://www.tothewhitelight.com.
~ Theresa
Doing It "The Little Way" 
I don't think there is anything such thing as "overqualified". There is "qualified" and perhaps "highly qualified". I'll even say there is "underpaid", but not overqualified. I just wrote about doing work you love on my latest post, which touches on some of these same issues. BTW, I'm visiting you for the first time via She Writes.
Good evening and welcome to "Doing It The Little Way." Thank you for sharing your thoughts. What I found interesting was the distintion you made between "overqualified" vs "highly qualified" as each term represents a different vantage point. "Overqualified" often infers self-perception; more specifically, an individual who views themself as having more education, training, and/or experience than what is needed to perform a specific job. It is for this reason they often view themselves as being "underpaid". Meanwhile, employers most likely view that same individual as a "highly qualified" candidate; that is, from a pool of available candidates, the individual possesses all the education, training, and/or experience to perform a specific job and more. From the employer's perspective, this individual is not "underpaid". In fact, the employer believes they are paying the individual a fair wage based on the actual skills needed to perform the job rather than based on all the skills an individual brings to the job. The question then becomes… should an individual be paid for the skills they use on the job. Or, should an individual be paid for the skills they use on the job plus the skills they do not use?Regardless of viewpoint, we are currently experiencing tough economic times with jobs being scarce. With it being an employer's market, there is a large pool of resources in which employers can draw potential employees. Who will they choose? It may or may not be the "highly qualified" candidate. The deciding factor for a job may come down to attitude, with the individual having a positive attitude landing the job.Nowadays, an individual with many years of experience finds themselves interviewing for positions in which they possess more skills than what is needed to do them. In this scenario, the individual has three choices. #1 – They can reject the position outright and continue their search with the hope of finding a position for which they are better suited and may actually love. This is where what you wrote fits in…doing work you love.#2 – They can accept the position and dwell on the negative (e.g. they are "too good" for the position and are "underpaid"), making everyone miserable. #3 – They can accept the position, perform the job with a positive attitude, learn something of value, then share the experience with others.I am sure you would agree that going in with a positive attitude as in #1 and #3 often ensures positive results. On the flip side, nothing positive is gained from having a negative outlook as in #2.