Episode Details
May 16, 2025
32 minutes
- The Overqualification Trap – Doug and Jeremy examine why so many educated workers feel stuck and undervalued, and how degrees alone no longer guarantee meaningful employment.
- Experience > Education? – They dive into how companies today are prioritizing real-world skills over academic credentials, and how job seekers can adapt to that shift.
- The Illusion of the Perfect Path – Many people never end up working in the field they studied. The hosts challenge the traditional belief that education equals career success.
- Hands-On Hiring – Jeremy explains why he favors skill-based hiring at Fluent Conveyors, using practical tests to evaluate true capability beyond the resume.
- Modern Exploitation in the Workplace – They discuss how organizational structures can exploit workers, especially in sales roles, by enforcing excessive control and limiting earning potential.
- Pushing for Growth – Doug and Jeremy share how empowering employees and maintaining transparent communication leads to better performance and long-term loyalty.
Featured Quotes
"Degrees don’t tell me what you can do—your actions do. That’s why we test skills first. The resume is just the introduction."
Jeremy Axel
"Empowered employees outperform controlled ones. If you're not creating space for people to grow, you’re capping their potential—and your company’s too."
Doug Cox
Episode Transcript And Overview
In this episode of Never in Reverse, Doug and Jeremy pull back the curtain on why people with advanced degrees and impressive résumés often find themselves underpaid—or even unemployed. They explore the rising importance of experience over education, and why relying too heavily on credentials can lead to professional stagnation. From hiring practices at Fluent Conveyors to broader industry trends, the hosts offer a candid look at how the workforce is evolving and how job seekers can position themselves for success. They also tackle the blurry line between structure and exploitation, especially in environments that undervalue autonomy and growth. Whether you're starting your career or reevaluating your value, this episode will help you rethink how to prove your worth in today’s job market.
Timeline Notes
Introduction
Today’s episode will focus on how people become overqualified and underpaid. Jeremy terms this problem the “over qualification trap,” and he says it has a lot to do with higher education paths people go down.
Employers are growing tired of applicants presenting a degree as the key piece of evidence that they deserve a job. You have to work your way up, and work experience is becoming much more important as a result.
Most people who get their higher education in a field do not go into a career in that field.
When possible, Jeremy likes to test applicants on skills through hands-on skill testing. This allows him to look past resumes and learn who his candidates are.
Fluent Conveyors is a very transparent organization. Jeremy shares his plans for the company’s future with his teams and looks for feedback from all of his employees.
Barriers to entry, income limits, and hierarchies can be used to exploit salespeople. Some companies put their sales teams in a box by demanding an unnecessary level of control over them.
Environments that do not push their teams do not allow their team members to grow. Organizations that recognize the talent they have hired push their staff to perform at their best.
Notable Guests
Bill Fairman
Fund Manager, Private Lender
Bill Fairman
Fund Manager, Private Lender
A best-selling author, national speaker, and serial entrepreneur with 30+ years of experience in mortgage banking.
Over the years, Bill has worked closely with hundreds of high-net-worth individuals, helping them strategically grow wealth as a Fund Manager for more than 13 years.
He’s also a trusted voice in the industry, serving on the Government Relations Committee of the American Association of Private Lenders.
Nick Kiridzic
Founder and CEO
Nick Kiridzic
Founder and CEO
I'm the founder of StaffHero, where we help growing businesses scale without the chaos connecting them with skilled remote assistants and automation systems that save time and cut costs.Before this, I spent over ten years in healthcare and business development, constantly spotting the same problem: amazing teams burning out under the weight of busywork. That’s what pushed me to build StaffHero.
Now, I focus on helping business owners get their time back and build systems that let them grow with freedom and focus.
Paul Glover
The No B.S. Executive Coach
Paul Glover
The No B.S. Executive Coach
Paul Glover is No B.S. Executive Coach, whose mission is to Challenge the Best to Become Better.
He is also:
• An Ex- White-Collar Felon.
• A “Recovering” Federal Trial Lawyer.
• A Subject Mater Expert on failing and recovery.
• Who is a TEDx speaker, Vintage Speaker, Forbes contributor, and an author whose book, WorkQuake™, is endorsed by Marshall Goldsmith, a Top 10 Business Thinker.
• An Executive Coach With 30 years of experience who advises and coaches executives in organizations with up to $1 billion in annual revenue.
• A Starbucks addict, and
• A Chicago Bears fanatic.
Adi Klevit
Founder | CEO
Adi Klevit
Founder | CEO
Adi Klevit is the Founder of Business Success Consulting Group and the host of the Systems Simplified podcast. With nearly three decades of experience as an industrial engineer and process consultant, she has helped hundreds of growth-focused companies systematize their operations to scale successfully.
Known as “The Process Guru,” Adi specializes in designing and implementing turnkey systems that reduce dependence on the owner, empower teams, and increase profitability. Her clients range from fast-growing trades businesses to multi-location professional service firms, and she is a trusted advisor to CEOs across the U.S.
Joe Dillon
Divorce Mediator & Founder
Joe Dillon
Divorce Mediator & Founder
Joe is a pioneer in divorce mediation who has been helping couples navigate the end of their marriages with dignity and financial wisdom for over 17 years. As co-founder of Equitable Mediation Services, Joe combines his MBA in Finance with specialized training from Harvard, MIT, and Northwestern University to guide couples toward agreements that protect both their emotional wellbeing and financial futures.
Joe pioneered virtual divorce mediation in 2011, nearly a decade before others adopted online practices during the pandemic. His results speak for themselves: Equitable Mediation Services maintains a 98% case resolution rate, significantly higher than the industry average of 70%.
