Posts Tagged ‘marketing yourself’

Examples of Value Propositions in Job Interviews

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

What is a “value proposition”?  The best description of a value proposition is the personal career branding that the person brings with him or her.  It is his or her distinctive blend of skills, qualifications, expertise and accomplishments.  In essence, it is what you bring to the table for the employer.

In marketing terms you could say that you are the “product” and the potential employer is the “target market”.  The concept of value proposition is really nothing more than your own unique sales pitch to land the deal.  This time you are what’s being sold, and the deal is your own future employment.

Your goal is to create a marketing message or a value proposition about yourself through your resume, cover letter, letters of recommendation, and references as well as your appearance, actions, voice, attitude and mannerisms that makes the potential employer want you.  Wrapped up in a neat package and it becomes your value proposition.

How do you create a strong value proposition?

You want to present your best features to the potential employer.  You want to make the best market presentation of yourself.

There are five key areas to look to in order to do this:
a) identify and arrange your transferable skills – look over what you bring to the table, and categorize it for the potential companies that you could reach out to.  This helps you “target your market”.

b) research your target companies – find the companies through networking, newspapers, online job boards etc. that appear to have the best matched or the most suitable positions being offered for your transferable skills.

c) match your skills to those companies’ requirements – review your resume and customize it specifically for those companies and the positions they have to offer

d) “showcase” your added value – highlight and speak to with the most strength those skills and qualities that you have which most suit that position. Some experts in the area of value propositions suggest that to help you showcase you can create a section at the top of your resume entitled, “Profile Summary,” “Summary of Qualifications,” or Career Summary,”.  This will help to catch the attention of the interviewer.

e) ensure your marketing message of you is consistent – whatever you say about you throughout your cover letter and your resume:  keep it to one or two key marketing messages throughout the documents.  Don’t say on one page you are reliable, then say on the next that you took a two-year sabbatical.  Keep it consistent throughout.

Underneath it all, however, is going to be your own unique ability to show the interviewer that you can bring more to the job than what the potential employer is expecting.  In essence, you want to create your documents, appearance and traits all to be a true marketing of you.

Make sure you create a value proposition that can easily show the answer that is foremost in the interviewer’s mind:  Why should he or she hire you?

If you do this, then you have clearly identified your value proposition, and more than likely “closed the deal”.


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Economy and the Unemployed

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Although it is true that the economy can play a role in the number of jobs that are available, or the number of people who find themselves out of work, in the main, it is “just a part” of the big picture. It is easy for a person who may have been on too many interviews to start “chalking it up to the economy.” Yet, this person is making a critical mistake if he does so.

The only “part” that is played by the economy is that there may be fewer jobs for the person to choose from, or conversely, there may be more people applying for those jobs. That only means the playing field is a little bit tougher. The wise job hunter keeps this fully in mind at all times.

To find a job in times where the jobs may not be “plentiful” is only a calling for you to be the “best of the best” and to be more outgoing in your search than the people you are competing with. It is the time for you to be at the top of your game.

Sometimes it may also mean that you have to be more forgiving in the terms you will accept and the jobs you will take.  That can even go to the extreme of the dentist who was more willing to be unemployed in his small town than he was ashamed to take a position beneath him.  He worked at the docks, helping to unload tuna boats when they came in until a dental position came in.  He was not to proud to take a job out of his chosen field because to him working was more important and more redeeming than sitting back claiming no work.

We don’t all have to get too forgiving, but it is a good reminder that we are also not glued to one station in the work world and that we can and should be willing to try new things if that is going to be the solution – even if only for the interim.

The main thing is to keep up your job search, and to keep yourself polished in appearance, polished in mannerisms and attitude and to keep your presentation of your self (which is typically your resume and cover letter) absolutely top of the line.

You should also remember the golden rule:  When you are looking for a job, you are in essence marketing yourself.  Thus the more you market, the more you will receive back.  Do not allow yourself to slack off.  Set and meet daily targets for numbers of resumes delivered to companies either by personal delivery, or through the US Postal service, or through online job boards.  Post your resume in as many locations as you can.  Personalize your resume for potential positions you want to apply for.

Follow up is very important too.  Send an email or personal note, or even make a call if appropriate.  Use your time when you find yourself unemployed in a tough economy as if you were employed.  In essence, you are:  You are gainfully employed in the task of finding gainful employment.

With that right attitude and perseverance you will be one of the people who had no difficulty finding a job during a tough economy.


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