Of all the reasons to be rejected for a job, being told you’re “overqualified” really sucks. There are many reasons someone might look for a position that is “under their station” of what he normally would do. For example, managers who have had enough of the personnel issues that come up too often may seek a position that has no direct reports. Sometimes technical people discover they don’t like project management as much as writing code.

I can understand to some extent the fear of the hiring managers. They don’t want to hire someone who is going to be unchallenged by the role. What I don’t understand is why they can’t take the job candidate’s word at face value.

My guess is that the candidate’s not making himself crystal clear as to the reasons he’d be happy with a less-responsible position. I would prepare a statement that explains why the senior development position is more attractive without being negative about his previous duties. In other words, he shouldn’t say, “I hated management,” but rather, “After a few months in that job, I discovered that what I really missed was the intensity and focus of a purely development role.”