Every time you get this reply, first realize it is really an opportunity to prove yourself in disguise. I advise my clients to handle it exactly like this: "I am going to let you down gently Mr. Brown. You are overqualified." Mr. Brown's clever response, "Overqualified, shucks. I get that all the time. Well, now that we settled that. Would you be kind enough to inform me for my own education, which category of overqualified do I fit into, the salary too high category, the too old category or the he is so overqualified that he will be bored, dissatisfied and leave category?"
If they answer, "You are too old" you have a couple of choices. First, age discrimination is a crime against humanity. You can ask them to repeat that answer because you did not hear it well enough (meanwhile discretely position the digital recorder as close as possible because this will make great evidence for the age discrimination lawsuit/settlement). Alternatively, you can get out the hair dye to remove the gray hair, start an exercise program and dress more in tune with current styles. You will also want to ramp up the enthusiasm, age proof your résumé (and interview) and move with pep in your step. Honestly, low energy levels are very easy to spot and employers are turned off by candidates who need naps during the daytime hours.
When they respond, "Our budgeted salary for this position is so low it would not even interest you" answer you also have a couple of choices. You can say, "You sure are right $39,000 annually definitely does not even interest me." On the other hand, because we have coached them into revealing the final obstacle to you joining their team, you can say, "Ordinarily that would be true, however I know that because I have switched careers/just returned to health from a car wreck/experienced a significant period of unemployment, I honestly understand I need to start at the bottom and prove myself all over again. Fortunately for both of us, I have a knack for training other team members, earning bonuses and promotions. I agree to your offer of $39,000 annually and I am ready, willing and able to start right away."
If the only thing preventing them from hiring you is the belief that you will soon be bored, dissatisfied and leave, then you only have to convince them that you have more than enough passion for your work to stay on. Better yet, boldly predict you will follow your pattern of earning a promotion/advancing at least once every one to two years. Show them how your enthusiasm and strong work ethic is clearly demonstrated by these examples of above and beyond performance (on your resume or in your evidence file you brought with you to the interview just for situations like this).
Remember, interviews are supposed to be challenging because they are designed to separate the exceptional from the ordinary. You should not expect any employer to hire anyone but the person they judge the best fit for the position and the most likely to succeed. You should also know that many of the assumptions employers make and interview questions you will be asked will come directly from your own résumé. Because it is normally much easier to sell yourself into a job as an overqualified candidate, you normally never want to dumb down your resume (think promotion or advancement via the internal job postings once you are hired).
