Do you have too much experience?

Today's highly competitive job market presents challenges for everyone seeking federal employment. Recent graduates and seasoned professionals alike encounter a reduced number of opportunities in the federal workplace due to hiring freezes and budget shortfalls.

Although required by law, after submitting a resume and cover letter, these job seekers sometimes do not get a reply from prospective agency or have to wait six months to hear from them.

This is discouraging, but not a surprise when the government often receives hundreds of resumes for every job posted, as reported by Dreamfedjob.com, a website that helps people find the right government job to match their skills. The tight federal job market can be especially hard on job seekers with 15 or more years of work experience.

As they look through USAJOBS, they often find entry-level openings that require less education or experience than they have accumulated.

An overqualified job candidate is someone who has too much education or experience, or can be too highly-paid for the position sought.

When federal hiring managers review a resume, they first tend to weigh the level of education and a candidate's past experience against the job opportunity. If the candidate possesses qualifications that are higher than the position requires, a manager may set the resume aside. The hiring manager's top priority is to make the right hiring decision. It costs money to hire and train a new employee, and it is beneficial to the organization when the employee comes on board for the long haul.  It can be scary for an overqualified person who isn't finding job openings that match their credentials. How can you overcome this negative perception? Change the format of your resume: If you have a lot of skills, it can be helpful to organize your federal resume into a functional resume format.

Rather than presenting information in chronological order under each position held, highlight your skills and accomplishments as they pertain to the position you are seeking. You can include the companies or agencies you have worked for in the past without emphasizing titles that may raise concerns.

Dreamfedjob.com, a website dedicated to empowering federal job seekers, supports this tactic for overqualified applicants.

Customize resume to each specific position: Tailor each resume to include the attributes the prospective employer seeks. Highlight the things that show you are qualified, not overqualified. Be sure to include characteristics of your personality that show you are motivated, a team player and dedicated to performing the job effectively. Along with a positive attitude, these soft skills can help define you as an asset.

Call on your professional network:Never underestimate the importance of joining a professional association. People who know you can vouch for your experience and value to the company, even though your qualifications may be higher. This is one of the best ways to overcome negative perceptions.

Honesty is the best policy: Prospective employers, particularly in the federal government call your references, check your background and criminal history, and speak with the company or agency where you last worked. Be honest about the reasons you left, and make it known that you are flexible about salary in a new position. Today's economy makes this a reality.

Above all, focus on how your learned skills can benefit the agency. Good luck!