Thank you for taking the time to answer questions! I’ve been an entrepreneur for 30 years and just sold my last small business. I seem to be painfully over-qualified for many jobs, or woefully short in requirements for most C-level businesses looking to hire for those positions. My skill set is best-suited for C-level positions, but I have no direct experience that they’re requiring. Any advice?

You may not be so happy about my advice after I share my thoughts on your question, but I would not be doing anyone any favors if I did not tell it like I see it.

We see this problem often, when candidates are transitioning from owning their own business and going into corporate America. There is no question that running a business involves a unique set of highly valuable soft skills, from the ability to multi- task, to not being risk adverse, and having confidence in one’s abilities. And certainly most small business owners are skilled in many different tangible skills as well, from bookkeeping and sales, to vendor management and operations. HOWEVER, just because someone has held a President or CEO title in their own company does not make them over-qualified for lower level jobs in the corporate sector.

I would suggest you make a conscious effort to forget about titles altogether, and strictly focus on skill sets when looking for a potential match. To be frank, I read and re-read your question a few times and it sounds like there is a discrepancy between your tangible skill set, and the jobs you are aiming for.

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