Many job seekers won’t like the following:
When you’re not selected for an interview, for subsequent interviews, or hired, chances are the hiring manager didn’t think you’d be a value-add to the company.
When a hiring manager considers a candidate, especially during the interview phase, they ask themselves four essential questions:
- Can this person do the work?
- Can this person be relied on and trusted?
- Will this person fit in and not be a disruptor?
- Will this person add value to the business?
The fourth question is the determining factor; thus, knowing how to pitch your value is paramount to expediting your job search and propelling your career upward.
At a certain point in your career, everything becomes sales. Convincing your boss, or their boss, that your idea makes sense, explaining how a project will pay off, helping employees understand the benefits of a new process, etc. All these activities are sales-like, requiring showing value (read: what’s in it for them) to achieve the desired “Yes!” A job search is essentially orchestrating a sales process via job search activities like writing your resume, crafting a cover letter, creating and regularly updating your LinkedIn profile, networking, and, of course, interviewing, which is a sales meeting where you close the sale.
If your aspiration is to have a meteoric career and to lessen job search frustrations—which you’ll inevitably conduct multiple times throughout your career—then you’d greatly benefit from mastering the key components of sales: an appealing value proposition, a compelling narrative, and supporting facts and data to establish trust.
If there’s anything that resonates with hiring managers, it’s a value proposition. However, most job seekers fail to convey the value they can provide to an employer and expect to be hired regardless. The key to success in today’s fiercely competitive job market is to clearly communicate how you’ll add value to one or more of the following factors that contribute to a company’s success:
Revenue Generation
“Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it’s the lifeblood of business.” – Sir Richard Branson.
The king of value-adds a candidate can offer is revenue generation. Revenue is a company’s earnings before deducting operating expenses; hence, it sustains its existence.
Demonstrating a proven record of generating revenue for your previous employers is a powerful tool in your job search toolkit. The more clearly you can articulate how you’ll contribute to the employer’s profits, the more likely you’ll be hired.
An example would be a sales manager who increased sales by 30% in a year by implementing a new CRM system. When interviewed, they present documents (e.g., reports)—evidence—that contain specific data points, such as the percentage increase in sales and how they achieved it through targeted marketing strategies. In other words, they show their revenue-generating skills, analytical skills, and understanding of market dynamics instead of simply “telling.”
Worth noting: With all the bad actors in the job market making exaggerated claims about their skills and experience, providing evidence in the form of supporting documents is a strategic approach to gain your interviewer’s trust while answering the aforementioned second question about your trustworthiness.
Savings
The ability to create savings is a significant value-add. After generating revenue, a company’s primary objective is to monitor its expenses and, when necessary, reduce them without sacrificing quality.
Imagine a project manager who cut costs by 20% through renegotiating contracts with suppliers and improving workflows. When interviewing, they provide details on specific initiatives they undertook, such as implementing a more efficient project management tool that resulted in fewer hours lost. Presenting these metrics—offering evidence—via supporting documents highlights their ability to save money and reflects their resourcefulness and strategic thinking.
Innovation
Business survival requires staying relevant to an ever-changing economic and business landscape and fickle consumer demands; hence, employers gravitate to candidates who demonstrate outside-the-box thinking and innovation.
Consider, for instance, a marketing professional who designed and executed a successful social media campaign that significantly raised brand awareness. During the interview, discuss their creative process, the tools they used for analytics, and the impressive results, such as a 50% increase in engagement and a measurable boost in website traffic, which they provide evidence to support. By demonstrating their innovative mindset, they demonstrate their value and potential to drive future growth.
Leadership
Individuals who can inspire and lead teams to achieve common goals are rare and, therefore, are highly valued by employers. Regardless of the position you’re applying for or interviewing for, effectively communicating your leadership skills will make you a strong candidate.
Think of a team lead who spearheaded a project necessitating cross-departmental collaboration. When interviewed, they share STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) stories about how they managed diverse teams, resolved conflicts, and motivated, illustrating their leadership style. Additionally, they share anecdotes explaining how their leadership improved team performance and morale, resulting in quantifiable results, such as an increase of 15% in productivity.
Ultimately, you want to shift the conversation from “Why should we hire you?” to “How will you help us succeed?” Focusing on showcasing your value will significantly increase your chances of landing the job.
_____________________________________________________
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned corporate veteran, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. Send Nick your job search questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.