In a tight job market midcareer professionals often consider openings that are less lucrative and less prestigious than their last job. Sometimes employers are glad to hire seasoned workers at a bargain, but others dismiss the candidate as “overqualified.”

What’s behind the overqualified label is an employer’s fear that if you’re hired, you’ll be searching for a better job before you learn where the restrooms are. But if you really want the job, there are ways of countering the perception that you’re too good for it.

1. Re-read the job description.

Just because you earned more and had more responsibility in the past doesn’t mean you’re overqualified for this job. If you meet or exceed every criterion, consider yourself highly qualified. On the other hand, if you don’t meet all the requirements — you would be using a new technology you’ve never heard of, for example — you may actually be underqualified.

“Too many job seekers think, ‘If I can do this big thing, then surely I can do those smaller things,’” says Laura DeCarlo of Career Directors International. “Maybe they can do them, but it will be a tougher sell.”

2. Fine-tune your resume.

“A resume is not a document set in stone,” says John M. O’Connor, president of Career Pro, Inc. “You should always rewrite your resume to fit that particular job, and that may mean taking down the tone a notch and emphasizing exactly the skills needed in the new job.” To tune your resume and cover letter, also consider the company culture and include relevant words, phrases, and technologies, O’Connor adds.

3. Don’t lie about your history.

It’s true that some screeners go right to the salary in order to weed out the “too expensive” candidates. If you were an executive earning six figures, don’t say you were a junior accountant earning $40K. Then again, unless you’re filling out an online form that requires your salary history, a sin of omission just to get in the door is fine.

Experts recommend addressing salary in a cover letter or interview by giving a wide range of income you would consider, or by saying you assume the company will pay competitive salary for the job.

“You want to steer the conversation to the tasks of the job and your history of longevity in other companies and away from dollar figures,” Barbara Safani, president of Career Solvers, recommends. “If you can explain how previous lateral moves benefited you, that can diffuse their fear you’ll be looking for a higher-paying job.”