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What can you do to overcome this unfair label? Unlike other job-hunting problems or negatives, if you feel you are going to be labeled as overqualified, you must be proactive. You will probably need to develop an entirely new job-search strategy – changing the way you write your resumes and cover letters as well as how you sell yourself in job interviews.

Here are just some of the tactics you’ll need to use in implementing this strategy:

1. Let your network speak for you. Nothing you could say about yourself is stronger than a recommendation from someone who knows you and can recommend you. The ideal scenario is for you to use your network to find someone within the organization and let that person make the first pitch for you.
2. Focus more on skills and accomplishments than job titles. Use the employer’s own words – from the job description – to show how your skills match perfectly while at the same time downplaying skills not required for this job.
3. Take salary off the table. Make it clear from the beginning that you are completely flexible about salary – and that your previous salary is of no relevance to your current job-search.
4. Reveal financial advantages of hiring you. If salary is going to be a concern, use specific examples from your past experiences to show how you increased revenue generation and/or cut costs/realized increased savings.
5. Emphasize teamwork and personality. Demonstrate that you are a team player – that the success of the team is more important than any of the individual team members.

Read more – including five more tactics you can use -- in my article, Fighting the Overqualified Label: 10 Tactics for a Successful Job-Search.

You are in a great position to learn more about the field while building a big support base if you follow some of my advice. I assume that you must know at least one person who is an engineer. If so, start there. If not, then ask your parents, friends, and teachers if they know someone in the engineering field. Once you have identified at least one person who works as an engineer, approach him/her professionally and ask for an informational interview – and perhaps a chance to also do a job shadowing. If you have great rapport with this person, you could consider asking him/her for names of other people in the engineering field that might also be willing to meet with you. Before you know it, you will have a wealth of information about all types of engineers (and there are aeronautical, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, nuclear, petroleum, as well as others) – and a great network to get advice about colleges, internships, and jobs.

Wait! One more thing. As I advise all my younger students, do not panic if in the next four years before you even get to college if your interests change dramatically. There are so many jobs and careers out there – and there will be even more in the eight years or so before you finish college and are ready to start yours – so learn as much as you can about engineering, but be prepared to be flexible and open to other options. Check out this section of Quintessential Careers for links to job and career sites related to engineering: Jobs in Architecture, Building, Construction, Engineering.

Example of gap: 11-2001 thru 12-02 is my last employment history on my resume. When I worked 12-02 thru 06-03 but I was fired and don't use this employer on my resume.

While a resume is a statement of facts, it is also a sales document – it needs to convince the prospective employer that you are worthy of an interview. And in my opinion, a short stint is much better than having a much longer gap on your resume. Regardless of the month, hiring managers will see 2002 and think that you have been out of work for two years and there must be something wrong with you. It’s just too long of a gap. You could consider using a functional or hybrid resume centered around skills clusters, but many employers favor the traditional chronological resume because it’s easier to find the information they need.

As for job applications, simply put "left company" as the reason. You certainly do not need to go into any detail on the application. Again, the application is designed to weed out applicants, so it too is a sales document for you. Once in the interview, you may need to address the issue – so be prepared with a short statement about how you were fired over a misunderstanding, being very certain to address the lesson you learned from the experience so that you show a positive attitude and growth. Do not blame your previous employer or manager; accept your responsibility in the issue, but do not dwell on it.

And don’t worry too much what this past employer will say about you. The one benefit of living in such a litigious society is that most employers are very unwilling to say anything too negative about current or former employers for fear of being sued.

Finally, it sounds as though you are having a hard time rebounding from being fired. If so, consider getting some sort of career counseling to deal with these feelings. You might also benefit from my article, Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth, published on Quintessential Careers.

The key issue with resigning is to do so with class. Give the proper amount of notice, which for most professional jobs, is two weeks. I suggest putting your resignation in writing – just so there is a record of it. Offer to stay longer if you are integrally involved in a major project. In most cases, your boss will take the news graciously, but be prepared for some negative vibes. In some cases, your current employer will make a counter offer to try and get you to stay – and you could consider it, but we’ve found that counter offers simply just prolong your inevitable departure.

Here are some other do’s and don’ts of resigning gracefully:

• Do make the transition as easy and as smooth as possible. And do offer to help find a nd/or train your replacement. But don’t make promises you can’t -- or won't -- keep.
• Don’t disappear during your last weeks on the job. Do stay a productive member of the team.
• Do make sure you receive all your stored up compensation and benefits, including bonus checks and unused vacation time, personal days, etc.
• Do make a plan to keep in touch with key coworkers, friends, and mentors. Keep your network strong.
• Don’t feel guilty about leaving. It may be hard to leave, but focus on the fact that you are leaving to accept a great career opportunity. And don't brag about that great opportunity.
• Do your best to wrap up all your major assignments. And do leave a detailed progress report for your supervisor and/or successor.

Read all my do’s and don’ts of resigning – along with samples of job resignation letters and memos – in this article on Quintessential Careers: Resigning with Class: How to Diplomatically Resign From Your Job.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers.

Dr. Hansen is an associate professor of marketing at the School of Business Administration, Stetson University. He has been a published career expert for the last 10 years and an employer and consultant with hiring/firing decisions for the past 15 years.

Through his experience as a professor of marketing, Dr. Hansen uses proven marketing techniques and applies them to job-hunting. He is currently working on such a book. Some of his work can be seen at his personal Web site.

He and Katharine Hansen co-wrote the very successful job-hunting book, Dynamic Cover Letters, published by Ten Speed Press. You can order copies from Barnes and Noble of this cover letter bible. He is also author of several career-related magazine and journal articles.

Finally, Dr. Hansen has been an employer and has firsthand experience in the hiring process. He also stays active in the field by reading magazine and journal articles and by talking with employers on a regular basis.