That was the title of a recent New York Times article. You can read it here.

The gist of the article is this: In today’s tight job market, companies can attract talent they’d ordinarily never see. And despite conventional wisdom, many of these overqualified hires are working out.

Here’s what I think (and please add your own comments below):

First, these jobs seem to work out when the company feels pleased and excited to get this talent bonus. If a company has reservations about the new hire, these feelings will carry over.

Second, you have to be honest with yourself. Some people have no problem working in downsized jobs. Others won’t. If you’re in the latter category, you may have to find a way to earn a living, perhaps by starting your own business.

Many people find it easier to take a step back when they are either self-employed or moving to a new career field. That’s why many qualified professionals begin an online career as Virtual Assistants: they’re actually running a business and they can fire their bosses anytime.

Just saw a post along these lines on Facebook, with details disguised:

“Suppose you are in an abusive job environment and feel you can’t leave. What can you do in the meantime?”

This question is tough. Here’s what I would advise:

First talk to a mental health professional and/or coach. Build a strong support system so you can keep you inner equilibrium. You also need a reality check on the degree of abuse. If it’s really bad, you’re in a war zone and you may need to leave immediately, as if you had a family emergency. (You do!) Additionally, you need to work on your own personal growth support systems. It’s tempting to self-soothe with cake, cookies and even alcoholic beverages, but those choices just make you feel worse. You lose energy and feel even more frustrated or even depressed.

Caution: Be very careful when working witih anyone, whether health professional or coach. Be especially careful when anyone other than a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist suggests drugs such as anti-depressants. Even then, some mental health professionals say, get a second opinion. On the other hand, be wary of someone who dismisses your pain with, “All in your head” or suggests band-aid quickie solutions. I am not a medical practitioner or mental health professional, so I am just passing on what I’ve picked up by reading and conversations and what I would do myself.  Get advice from true experts.

Second, create a Plan B. What would you do if you were fired? Begin to execute that plan because you are, in effect, firing yourself. Additionally, it is not unusual for frustrated workers to find themselves sabotaging their own success. You make a really, really bad mistake. You arrive late to meetings (or skip them altogether). You say the wrong thing to a coworker and pay a heavy price.

Third, if you are developing your own business or practice, invest in good help to accelerate your growth. You don’t need to spend a fortune but a few calls  with a pro can save you months and weeks of time, not to mention the lost income.

To get started on career change:Your 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover

Yesterday I met a smart, attractive twenty-something executive at a networking event. He described himself as, “Unemployed.”

But after about five minutes of conversation, it was clear that he’s not really “unemployed.” He’s keeping busy with consulting assignments. He has a workload many longtime self-employed professionals would envy.

“I’m not really a consultant,” he said.

Why not? You don’t need a license. You’re walking the talk. Go for it.

Often people who get laid off find themselves taking on projects…and they get so busy they stop looking for corporate jobs. What’s wrong with that?

A Business week columnist presented what she calls “etiquette tips” for those who are laid-off as well as those who survive. Go here to read the column.

A few key ideas:

• When you’re laid off, write a few personal notes to colleagues in your current and recent jobs. Talk about why you enjoyed the business relationship. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with your job search.
• And when friends get laid off, the most helpful thing you can do is to pass along their resumes. Offer specific leads and connections, if you have them.

I would add:

Don’t offer advice unless you’re specifically asked. Unsought advice usually does more harm than good. And if you are laid off, don’t ask for advice from friends, family and colleagues. Ask for information. My rule of thumb is, “Network for information and pay for advice.”

If a close friend or family member has been laid off, send them a gift certificate for career coaching. That will be more helpful than a few luxury lunches. (Of course, an occasional treat will do wonders for their morale.) Other gifts might include a relaxing massage, an Amazon gift certificate or a gift certificate at an office supply store.

Joke gifts will backfire. When I was just starting my business, very conscious of cash flow, a friend sent me a silly book. Normally I would smile but at that time, I could have used a gift certificate at Amazon to buy some books I really needed.

Finally, anyone who’s laid off might consider an Internet business. I’ve listed a few ways to get started on this page: http://www.cathyrecommends.com

It’s easy to get scammed on the Internet. I’ve checked out these sources and they’re legit. I would start with Derek Gehl’s weekend course. I would also subscribe to Connie Ragen Green’s free teleseminars.

A few years ago, the newspaper USA Today carried a story by former Wall Street Journal reporter Les Gapay, now living out of his truck as he travels around national parks. Unable to find a job, Gapay uses library computers to freelance as a writer and publicist. Approaching sixty, he fears many jobs will go to younger colleagues.

Gapay’s story is an inspiring one because he refuses to give up. He reports increased income this year — he no longer qualifies for food stamps — and expects to be living in a real home someday.

How did an educated professional fall so low? Gapay matter-of-factly says he falls through the cracks. Self-employed workers do not qualify for unemployment and state agencies have no idea how to help. Insurance remains tied to employment, although more and more of us have joined the Free Agent Nation.

I believe we are in the middle of the greatest social transition since the Industrial Revolution. Then as now, millions of workers were displaced by forces beyond their control.

Two books offer a realistic perspective. William Bridges’s book JobShift and Daniel Pink’s Free Agent Nation. Both argue that traditional jobs will soon be obsolete, yet government, insurance, health care, and credit institutions haven’t caught on.

If you’re disturbed by these trends, I encourage you to write to your legislators, reminding them that unemployment benefits were designed for a different era. For most of us, self-employment is a matter of when, not if. Change won’t happen overnight, but we need to encourage our congressional representatives and senators to begin making laws for tomorrow’s world..

“How a Regular Guy Gets Homeless,” by Les Gapay. USA Today September 22, 2003 page 3B

Usually I don’t recommend books about life and family because I don’t consider myself an expert. But family issues come up for almost all my clients. They put off career change and even take a leave from their own businesses. And they’re frozen with grief.

But I ran across a book, Death Benefits by Jeanne Safer, Ph.D. I can relate to it (although my parents died quite a while ago). I have watched my friends and clients go through loss. Nearly all seem to have a mixture of relief and guilt at feeling this relief.

The subtitle is, How Losing a Parent Can Change An Adult’s Life – For the Better. So it’s a little awkward to recommend this book to friends. “Here’s a book that…um…helps you realize how much you’re freed up when your parents die.” But the book is so good it’s worth the social risk.

Safer writes well and she keeps the book focused, with a clear theme. She doesn’t sugarcoat the message or urge people to look for kindness and goodness inept parents. Her exercises are few and simple. They’re more like coaching than what I think of as therapy, but I suspect they’re very powerful.

It’s hard to pick out the highlights because (rare for me!) I really liked every chapter. I would call a reader’s attention to the chapter on “the last taboo,” noting that many people are embarrassed to admit their feelings about the loss. The chapter on religion is particularly sensitive to two diverse responses — turning away from a parent’s religion or returning to a faith that was once abandoned.

In the section on disposing of “stuff,” I could note that you don’t have to do this yourself. You can hire people who will go through furniture and clothing, sorting out what can be sold, what is valuable ad what should be given away. Look under “estate sales” or advertise for help on craigslist.

Safer is a psychologist, so she doesn’t explore the broader implications of our new understanding of parent-child relationships. Our society is still set up to demand contributions — financial and psychological — from children, even when parents have been indifferent, incompetent, or even abusive. Company policies and legal systems support and even demand parent-child relationships. We need to recognize that families are not what they used to be, and probably they never were.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Fear ==> paralysis ==> catastrophizing ==> more fear ==>

==> do nothing ==> more fear ==> hide in the closet….

We’ve all been there.

You’re ready to make a big career change. You really want to get going. But you’re held back by fear. So you wait…and wait.

(1) Recognize consequences of doing nothing.

You really hate your job and you’re long overdue for a change. But you like the security of a pay check. Maybe you have family (and dogs) depending on you.

Hang on long enough and you’ll probably start sabotaging your own security. You’ll find yourself making dumb mistakes, missing deadlines, losing important documents and more.

Some people handle this sort of thing better than others. Some live for 20 years with jobs they despise with no outward appearance of problems. My theory is (a) you just don’t see what’s going on — doctor visits, anti-depressants, stomach trouble, family grief, or more; (b) they don’t hate their job as much as they say; or (c) they were born with a certain temperament with high tolerance for frustration.

(2) Do some reality testing.

“What’s the worst that can happen?” is a good first question. Once you have the answer you can often create plans to cover your worst case scenario. Here’s where a career coach can help: not someone who administers a handful of tests, but someone who knows the ins and outs of careers.

(3) Take a small 10-minute step.

What should you do? It doesn’t matter. Take just 10 minutes to deal with your frustration.

Action means getting off the couch. It doesn’t include introspection (“what do I really want”), reciting mantras and affirmations (although you can do that too) or talking to friends on the phone. It doesn’t mean reading books, even those I’ve written (list here).

Examples of action include phone calls to people who can help (such as experienced professionals in your field), attending meaningful networking events (not mechanically attending lunches), and meeting contacts for coffee. If you can’t think of a single action step, or you’re taking steps but aren’t seeing results, find a professional who can help. The sooner you get moving, the faster your fear will dissipate and the faster you’ll find yourself in a good space.

Just one note. Sometimes you’ve just been through a traumatic experience: a death of someone close to, the loss of a career you loved, break-up of a relationship, sale of a business or loss of your biggest customer. Any of these experiences require time for recovery. Each person will handle loss differently: formulas (even the famous Kubler-Ross stages) do not apply to everyone. In general, don’t make any big moves or take any big risks for at least 30 days…perhaps as long as six months. But at some point, you really do have to get off the couch and spring into action.