Job seeker was told they are 'overqualified' for working in gas stations and food joints

Finding a job is not an easy feat and in today's competitive environment, it is almost impossible to land a job that satisfies all your expectations. Job seekers frequently receive feedback from companies and organizations suggesting that they may be considered underqualified or lacking in experience, which often hinders their chances of securing a position. However, one person named Burb—who goes by @dankburb—has experienced quite the opposite.

They were told that they might be “overqualified” for fast food joints and gas stations. In a viral video, Burb said they filled out 300 applications to receive only five responses, mostly useless and had to turn to food chains out of desperation.

“Three hundred job applications later and only five employers have gotten back to me,” they said in the video. “Three of them were scammers, one of them was a pyramid scheme and the other one was no longer in business.” Looking for jobs in 2023 is stressful and many factors need to be in place for the right candidate to find the right job. The process is not difficult when you only need to submit a resume through a website, but, as we all know, many corporations are infamously known for making no callbacks.

“So what do I do next?” Burb said, “I check places like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Spanx, QT and other local gas stations with hiring signs lit up all the time. McDonald’s and Taco Bell tell me I’m too qualified and all of a sudden the gas stations are no longer hiring.”

They added, “But there’s a labor shortage, right?” When food joints or gas stations say you are overqualified for a position, they most likely are afraid you will replace them and the more qualified you are, the higher up the ladder you can be placed. Since they offer the most underappreciated jobs, managers telling you that you are “overqualified” means you will be hard to exploit.

Minimum wage jobs prefer desperate people and those who cannot afford to make trouble, demand respect, or question the managerial team. Regardless of whether food service or retail is worse, workers in both industries have complained of poor working conditions, low wages and unacceptable levels of work-life balance. It has caused many companies to temporarily shut down, so it only makes sense for them to hire somebody who is constantly under their thumbs and overly compliant.

TikTok users sympathized with Burb and said that their situation is quite relatable. "The thing is the government is still giving money to these companies that so-called have openings and they can’t get anyone," said @thecooldarkmagician. "The same thing happened to me. I swear the gas station was acting like they are JP Morgan," added @kingkolakultivator.

"I couldn’t get a job at a brand new gas station even as a janitor why? Cause they thought I overpriced myself. I asked for the minimum wage. Picky af." wrote @skyisnolimit1. "I remember job searching and seeing a part-time sales associate position. The minimum wage, is not bad, right? Well, yeah, except they required a bachelor's," added @addieisabaddie.