Countering Employer's Assertion That She'd Be Bored in the Job

Annette writes:

I went on an interview today and at the end of the interview the hiring manager tells me that I would be too bored in this position. He totally caught me off guard, and I honestly could not respond to his comment. However, I do want to emphasize to him in a thank-you letter that I would be an asset to his group and organization and that I am perfectly qualified for this position.

He seemed to be really impressed with my experience and skills during the whole interview. I don’t know where I went wrong. He gave an impression that his group was not “organized” and he seemed frustrated that there isn’t some sort of policy in place for most of their work. As I have emphasized all the processes I’ve implemented for 3 divisions and so on; I would think that he would be highly interested.

Can you give me some advice as to how I can mention in my letter what he said and how I disagree with him, etc. Can you help me?

The Career Doctor responds:

First, don’t panic too much. We all have been stumped in job interviews by questions or comments that seem to come from out of nowhere. And you are absolutely correct that the perfect place to address the issue is in the interview thank-you letter.

Being too bored sounds very similar to being over-qualified and it might have been his hint to you that the position is below you, but it also may be that you did not do as well a job as you had hoped on selling him on what you could do for his group.

So, besides the usual information in a thank-you note, you should include a paragraph that specifically deals with the issue — in your case the comment about being bored.

After our interview, I’m convinced that I have all the ingredients you’re looking for in your group manager. I know you expressed some concern in our meeting that I would be too bored in this position. I want to stress, however, that I am the perfect candidate for this position — with the right mix of skills and experience to make an immediate and lasting impact on the group and the organization.

Check out all the sample letters we have in this section of Quintessential Careers: Sample Job Interview and Career Thank-You Letters.