How to Demonstrate Your Value to a Prospective Employer

How to Demonstrate Your Value to a Prospective EmployerHow to Demonstrate Your Value to a Prospective EmployerThere should be a single thread that is both evident andconsistent through your job search. It needs to come out in your rsums, coverletters, LinkedIn profile and during interviews. It all boils down to sellingyourself, and the question is how do you do that in each document and at eachstage of the job search process?You must demonstrate your value.Sounds complicated, right? Youre probably asking how youcan figure out what your value is. And once you do know, how can you possiblyshow value in words? Here are some dos and donts to help you get it right.Do show whatyoure trying to get across. If you constantly write things like, Sandra wassad, Sandra was mad, Sandra was excited in a creative story yourewriting, elend many people will be intrigued to read further. Showing emotions iswhat makes a story work effectively, and examples are what make it work. Soinstead of writing tha t you have great communication skills, think of specificexamples from your work history where youve demonstrated them. Thats whatshould go in a rsum, cover letter and on your LinkedIn profile.Dont tell anemployer what your value is show it with examples. Its what any goodcreative writing teacher will tell you. What does this look like in practice?Dont use clichd phrases such as, excellent written and verbal communicationskills. You are simply telling your reader you have those qualities, andanyone can say that.Do make yourmaterials understandable for a wide audience. Ask someone unfamiliar with yourjob or industry to read your rsum and cover letter to alert you to placeswhere clarification is needed. Acronyms should be written out, and companies ororganizations that are not well known require a concise description.Dont assume yourreader knows your industry or your job. While the person may have written orhelped write the job description, he may not have an in-depth understanding of what is required for the job and in your profession in general.Do providequantitative and qualitative results of your work. This can be difficult formany professions, but you dont necessarily need metrics to show results. Thereare ways to show the impact of your work in words. Did you save your boss orcolleague time? Did you perform research that eventually led to a publicationby a colleague?Dont lie or exaggeratenumbers or statements. Estimates are OK to use, but you should not be inflatingyour achievements. These fibs are usually instantly recognizable to people whoread scores of rsums and constantly interview candidates. Saying you oversawa product launch when you did not is not OK.Do demonstratefor a potential employer how you can help them do business in a smarter way. Ifyouve improved processes in your past jobs, it is likely you can do that for aprospective employer as well. Make sure those examples are in there.Dont make overconfidentclaims. If you write in a cover letter or say in an interview that you know thecompany has made mistakes, and thats why a competitor is outpaced them, you maynot get very far. Youre still an outsider, and coming in and being criticalright off the bat is not going to help your cause. Even if its true, theiremployees probably dont want to hear it from you. It just gives a badimpression.Do includeawards, honors and recognition. Awards and honors should have their own sectionrather than be hidden under job descriptions in bullets. If a colleague orclient gave you compliments on your work, find a way to use these in your coverletter and/or interview. You can also ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn.Dont hide thingsyou ought to be proud of, and dont make your reader dig for the information. Youreceived the award or recognition for a reason. Highlighting these only helpsyou.While its not easy to show your value in writing orverbally, its a skill you must learn for your job search and your career.Think about when you meet a new p erson who interests you professionally. Areyou going to tell them, Hi, Im Mike. I am a great leader and an excellentcommunicator? Yawn.You need to show them what makes you a great leader and an excellentcommunicator. How are you different from your competition? Why should they wantto talk to you instead of another candidate? If you arent using examples withimpact to demonstrate the benefit you bring to an organization, no one will beinferring it for you, and its not likely youll get a call for an interview.Do be thoughtful about what youve done and what stands out, and show them allyouve got to offer.