Value Propositions – a powerful method to help you secure a new job and the answer to one of the most dreaded challenges for interview attendees – “how do I talk about myself?” or “how do I sell my skills in an interview”.
This method is precisely how to answer questions like:
What are your strengths?
Tell me about yourself.
These simple questions often leave us in knots and yet there is a simple method that can be used for every question like this, with no need to brag, “sell yourself”, or sound arrogant. It’s very simple, and just requires practice and personalisation.
Read on for a professional career coach’s simple framework for constructing great personal value propositions for yourself…
Personal value propositions (PVP) are the best way to answer questions like “why are you a good candidate for this role?”, “why do you want this role?” and “what are your strengths?”. You will use them in every single interview you’ll ever attend and these sentences are the foundation of your personal brand. Strong value propositions are what win job offers, plain and simple. In a panel interview context, a well formed value proposition will allow the panel members to ‘tick the box’ and mark you as suitable for a role, because these statements are evidence-based. Plus they are easy to construct – just use this simple 3-step framework and practice.
A personal value proposition (PVP) is a promise of value to the organisation you are interviewing with. It’s the reason you get hired. If you’re serious about interview preparation coaching, make sure your value propositions are prepared and rehearsed well before the big day.
Yes, you can prepare your own using the tools and tips below. I encourage you to put aside 30-60 minutes and create at least four: one related to your target job title and three related to the required skills of the job.
In addition to having a core value proposition related to your target job title, your other value propositions should reflect the skills needed to do the job. These skills are usually outlined in job descriptions, ads and recruiter discussions. For example, an executive leader could have separate value propositions for:
If your target role is a Program Officer, you would have a PVP about being a Program Officer, and then three possible skills you would need PVPs for could be:
A PVP is made up of only 1-2 sentences. Short, sharp and to the point. The simplest way to construct one is using the WHAT, WHEN, WHO framework (generally in that order). However, even if you don’t use that framework, any statement that contains at least the WHAT and WHO components can be considered a value proposition.
What skill have you got that they want? (e.g. policy development, strategic advisory, stakeholder engagement, public communications, program implementation).
Tell us the scale of your experience. Give names, numbers and data (e.g. # of years of experience, size of teams led, budget range, qualifications).
What were the benefits and positive things that come out of using your skill? Use names, numbers and data (e.g. client names, employers, awards, ROI, promotions, budgets, SLAs).
The phrase ‘as shown by’ makes it easy. You can use ‘…as shown by…’ to link WHAT and WHEN is a simple way to create a value proposition. E.g. “one of my strengths is project management, as shown by successfully delivering over five ICT projects for Services Australia.”
“I will bring to the table proven policy development skills, demonstrated by six years of experience working on large, complex policy review projects for the Department of Home Affairs, including data analysis, research, and external stakeholder consultations.”
“Advising senior leaders is one of my strengths, evidenced by three years at DFAT providing strategic advice and policy briefings to senior government officials from Indonesia, enhancing diplomatic relations and international cooperation.”
“A key strength is turning around under-performing teams. I set clear KPIs and adhere to them, and over the last three years, I have revitalised and led high-performing policy analysis teams of up to 15 staff at the ATO.”
“My executive stakeholder management background includes 8 years of presenting, advising, and negotiating at a C-suite and Deputy Commissioner level as a Program Manager for the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Aged Care.“
Don’t like ‘bragging’ or ‘talking it up’? You don’t have to. Using the above formula is just stating the facts and letting the listener make up their own mind. It’s not salesy, but it is absolutely critical. If you don’t know how to deliver powerful value propositions, then you will probably miss job opportunities. They are easy to prepare and just take some practice to execute. Once you have your value propositions nailed, you can also use them to promote your personal brand in everyday work situations, such as introducing yourself in various situations such as with senior leaders, during networking opportunities, at conferences, and in conversations with external partners. These factual statements help to state your credentials in an impressive manner that is guaranteed to connect with audiences.
Working with a coach is a great move to help you develop and practise your value propositions, and this is a central focus in our interview coaching programs. Diving into the preparation and delivery of these essential statements will really help you nail that next big interview and you’re building life-skills valuable throughout your entire career.
