While being in senior management positions, it is inevitable that we tend to work expansively on projects and timelines that are short. What all this means, it is critical to define the value proposition of any project that we invest our time in. In a similar manner, to attract the attention of your boss or a headhunter for a coveted position that you may desire, it is critical to be able to define your professional value proposition.
What do you bring to the table? Today we have a guest post from Beata Staszkow, a global management careers consultant. Among other things, Beata shares the thought starters on how to define your value proposition. Go no further, start here!
Understanding your Value Proposition
If you speak to anyone knowledgeable in recruitment, they will talk about the importance of defining your value proposition. This is defining why a potential employer would employ you.
Your unique selling points, if you will. Executives who tend to land role easily, have a good working knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses, so when they present themselves for consideration for a role, they always put in a good play for a job.
To define your value proposition it is important to understand the following;
When a company advertises for a role, it is because there is a problem with the business. For example, if sales are down they take on a sales executive. If there is an administrative problem, they take on an administrator. To successfully define your value proposition it is important you can define which problem you solve.
So if your skills both hard and soft are a good match for the company requirements, it will be easier for you to show how you solve the problem the business has. You can give them a reason to add you to their team.
Personal Branding
This brings us to another asset to help you define your value proposition: Personal Branding
Personal branding is like company branding. You define a set of values and adhere to them. Through consistent quality blogging, showcasing industry and job knowledge you can become an authority in your field. If you are good and concise, you can become the go to guy- an authority figure in your industry. If you are applying for promotion or a new role, your value proposition enhanced by a strong personal brand will give you a considerable advantage.
In my experience, executives see reason in this approach to job hunting and career advancement. It is a slightly different story when it comes to implementation. It is difficult to go in cold and start thinking about your hard and soft skills, achievements, and other issues that will help your career. It is even harder to go in and start writing blogs. It is also very easy to get it wrong.
Defining your Value Proposition
In essence you are looking to showcase your achievements and skills. Thus on your CV, Resume, Online profiles e.g. on Experteer, LinkedIn etc. remember this:
Achievements are stronger when backed up with real numbers. So, if productivity increased by 15% after the changes you suggested were implemented, state that. It sounds a lot stronger than just productivity increased. If you can show the proof of this, that is so much better.
Your important skills are not just the ones where you have pieces of paper stating you achieved this or that qualification. Your skill set is also how well you communicate, are you a team player? Can you work under your own initiative? Can you speak another language? These skills are highly prized. Not putting them on you CV or Resume until page 3 could cost you promotion and or a new job.
Useful Hints
Along with defining your value proposition on your CV/Resume and professional online profiles, always ensure you follow the rules of the country where you are applying for a job. For example, the Middle East and Germany requires a picture and personal details, so include them. Other countries however, do not require this information so be mindful. Ensure you are familiar with the ‘rules of application’.
Summing up
Having a well-crafted value proposition will create opportunities for you in your career. You will also have a good idea of where your skills will benefit a company, and where you and the company can do well. It will also give you access to the ‘hidden job market’, where the better executive jobs tend to be awarded. Good luck!
Thank you Beata, for all your insights. We do hope the managers are able to use these as starting points leading to the next step in their career!
About Beata Staszkow:
Beata is an accomplished MBA-calibre Global Careers Management Consultant and Executive Manager, with international and UK experience in managing professional services, higher education and membership organisations. The Founder and General Manager of Mentor EU she has been 
working on multiple career transition and outplacement projects with Workstream Consulting, KGHM Ecoren, and Career Intelligence. Prior to her move into careers management consulting, Beata joined KGHM Polska Miedz – Polish Copper, a blue chip company, a top producer of copper, silver and rhenium with 30,000 employees. Promoted to Deputy Director of Employers’ Organisation of Polska Miedz, Beata successfully represented extractive and metal industry in Poland and Europe. From September 2001 until March 2006, she successfully managed The Institute of Personnel and Development – a start-up consultancy which successfully delivered training and consulting services to blue-chip and medium sized companies across industry sectors. This included managing privatizations, mergers and acquisitions as well as redundancies. Beata has expertise in managing higher education institutions. Apart from academic lecturing and managing the English Department of the Polish Open University, in 1995 she took over an ailing campus of the POU and transformed it into a leading business school in Poland. Beata is a voracious reader and a classical music fan.
