Your Value Proposition
The third critical factor for getting a job offer is your value proposition. Your value proposition clearly states (in writing and verbally) the essence of:
How your expertise solves problems or better positions your audience (hiring manager, contract manager, client, etc.)
How your audience benefits from your expertise (quantified value, such as revenues generated, costs avoided, percent improvement)
Your unique differentiation (why you are the best available solution or what’s different from/better than what other candidates may offer)
The benefits of your expertise in the language of your target audience (which may be different from how you speak to your skills, knowledge, and experience)
A solid value proposition is the core of any career strategy and is a message that describes how you as an individual uniquely create value for clients, companies, and stakeholders. It is the primary reason why your services should be selected by a prospective employer or client over all other competitors. It is an elevator pitch of sorts that answers the question: “Why should I hire you?” The elements that comprise your professional brand support the essential message of your professional value proposition. Bundled together, they remove all others from consideration for the job or contract. Getting hired is never about you or your awesome experience. It’s about how you can and will address the needs of the hiring manager going forward.
A carefully planned strategy designed to shorten the time necessary to get hired, promoted, or for a career transition focuses and reinforces your unique competitive advantages. In today’s aggressive job market, a personal strategy for developing your career is a must. Without it, you’re likely to become just part of someone else’s plan to develop their own.
That’s why it’s important that you ask yourself every day: “What did I do today to create that unique advantage for my career strategy?”