How to Use a Personal Value Proposition to Land Your Next Job

You want the kind of job that is suited to your skills and talents. A career that will keep you challenged just enough to stay interested. Finding that career, however, is not a simple task. Especially in this day and age, when there are thousands of job openings, and hundreds—if not thousands—of applicants for each job.

With the globalization of the job market, digital work, and digital application processes, anybody can apply to any job. No matter how successful you are, it is no longer even possible to be a big fish in a small pond. Even for incredibly niche specializations.

One of the most effective ways to show prospective employers that you understand what it takes to succeed, and you have the skills to make it happen, is through a powerful value proposition. A value proposition is often used to show a potential customer why a particular brand is their best option for a certain product or service, but using a personal value proposition to sell your skills and talents sends a compelling message to employers as well.

What is a Personal Value Proposition?

A personal value proposition is conceptually very similar to a value proposition intended for businesses. It communicates in a clear, direct, and concise way, why an employer should hire you over another applicant.

While resumes and cover letters are an important part of the hiring process, they focus on the past. A personal value proposition will take the focus off of everything you have done, and instead divert the focus to everything you will do for the company you are applying for.

A quality value proposition for a brand or business has three elements. The proposition tells consumers that they will receive, how they will benefit, and why they should choose one brand over the other. A personal value proposition will communicate your personal brand with a potential employer. You want them to know exactly what you will do to improve their company, what the results will be, and why you can do it better than anyone else.

Important Considerations

While your value proposition needs to be simple, clear, and concise, it may not be so simple to write one. You need to know your skills, your accomplishments, and your personality, quite well in order to distill what you have to offer into a personal values proposition. Your personal values proposition should be between 100 and 150 words. So it really needs to be the best of what you have to offer in short summary form.

Evaluate Your Options

In preparation to write your personal values statement, you should take some time to evaluate what exactly you would like to do, and where exactly you would like to work. Think about how well that matches what you have done in the past and what you are capable of doing. Really nail down precisely how you will serve the companies you work for, and what you will do that will improve them.

Many people have not put much effort into thinking about what they will do for a company. And maybe in the past, your job search has been more imbalanced, with a focus on how great it would be to work for xyz company. Get control of your job search by figuring out why it would be great for xyz company to have you working for them.

Know Your Skills and How They Fit Into Each Company You Apply For

This is often the hard part. It is not so much about what you have done, and more about what you can do. Of course, it is a good idea to have some examples to back up what you say you can do, but a personal values statement focuses on the skills you currently have and how they will benefit the company to which you are applying.

Making a list of your accomplishments and your skills is an excellent place to start. You want to tailor each personal value proposition to the company you are applying for, so make sure you create a thorough list. You want to have plenty of skills to draw from so you can highlight the most unique ones that serve each company best.

Be Prepared to Back Up Your Statements

This will likely look different for everyone, depending on the industry you are in, and the employment level you are seeking. But you want to provide proof of your claims and give examples of how you accomplished some of your statements in the past.

Conclusion

Writing a personal values statement is not easy. It will take a bit of introspection and insight on your part. But if you take the time to put one together for each company, you will stand out in a crowded field and get the attention of your potential employers. Take control of your job search by giving yourself a brand, and letting everyone know just how confident you are.