Value Proposition Theory: Applying a Holistic Approach to Job Search

By Sharon Graham

As career practitioners, we strive to provide our clients in transition with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to perform a successful job search. For this to happen, they need to be able to articulate their value clearly and confidently from the start to the end of the process.

We have heard the term “Value Proposition” used in the corporate world to describe the differentiating brand and value that an organization offers to its customers. Companies use the value proposition to answer their target market’s question “Why should we buy your product?” In the same way, your client’s Value Proposition should effectively answer the potential employer’s question: “Why should we hire you?”

In 2004, Career Professionals of Canada’s Certified Résumé Strategist Committee first introduced the concept of “Value Proposition” as related to résumé writing. Over the years, the approach was further refined as it applies holistically to career transition. The Value Proposition is a formalized approach to job search, derived from various established corporate and personal branding strategies. It is a marketing strategy and sales pitch, specifically related to job search.

To conduct a targeted search, the applicant must deliver a concise, consistent, and compelling message to the employer. This message is the individual’s Value Proposition. To attain the best chances in succeeding, the candidate must deliver this proposition holistically throughout the job search process.

Your client’s Value Proposition consists of three components: the employer’s buying motivators, your client’s supporting qualifications, and your client’s added value. By addressing each of these components, your client shows the target employer what he has to offer that meets their needs.

Employers wanting to fill positions are essentially purchasing employees and therefore they have specific buying motivators. These motivators generally relate to the company’s bottom-line. An organization might be looking for an employee to help them generate revenue, save money, or solve a problem. These buying motivators are how the company expects to “pay the bill” for the new employee. Your client’s prospective employer has specific buying motivators, which you can uncover together as short, but powerful, descriptors. When communicating with employers, these words and phrases are critical.

In order to effectively market and sell him or herself, your client needs to demonstrate supporting qualifications that directly address the employer’s buying motivators. Your client’s qualifications are likely to encompass specific skills, abilities, level, stature, education, experience, credentials, and accomplishments. The key is to match those qualifications to the employer’s buying motivators. Select only the most significant qualifications for use in the Value Proposition. Otherwise, the offering will be much too bulky to advertise your client in a memorable way.

Even when your client has determined his supporting qualifications, he is only equal to all the other candidates who can also display valuable supporting qualifications. Your client’s added value is the distinctly individual benefit that he or she brings to the table. The unique offering that your client presents is the “clincher” in the sales pitch to the employer.

Helping your client develop and communicate his Value Proposition is easier than you might think.

You can instruct your client in a methodical fashion:

• Explain Value Proposition Theory as it relates to selling services to his target market – the employer. Help your client to understand why a Value Proposition needs to be delivered consistently to have the most impact.
• Guide your client through the process of developing his or her Value Proposition. Start with the employer’s buying motivators, then work through your client’s supporting qualifications and added value.
• Once the three components are documented, work with your client to connect them into an effective message. As your client’s Value Proposition takes shape, tweak the message so that it reads as a convincing statement that is unforgettable.
• Only when your client is comfortable with the Value Proposition, will he be able to articulate it. You can now work with your client to create an effective networking statement or “elevator speech” that communicates his Value Proposition. You can expand your client’s abilities in employment interviews by practicing responses to questions like “tell me about yourself,” “why should I hire you?” and “what do you have to offer that the other candidates don’t have?”

Help your client to articulate the Value Proposition in networking sessions, in employment interviews, and even in the negotiation sessions. Ensure that your client’s résumé, cover letter, business card, and other self-marketing documents display the Value Proposition consistently. The stronger your client becomes in delivering the message, the clearer the employer will understand what your client offers.

Helping your clients to market and sell their value is vital. Once they have developed and practiced their Value Proposition, they can use it in all aspects of their job search. As your client’s Value Proposition becomes engrained, they will naturally be much more confident in all aspects of the job search. With a concise, consistent, and compelling message, your clients will secure a fantastic job offer in no time at all.

Sharon Graham is a certified résumé and employment interview strategist, and author of Best Canadian Résumés. She is executive director of Career Professionals of Canada (www.CareerProCanada.ca) and assists clients though her consulting firm Graham Management Group (www.GrahamManagement.com). .

Career Professionals of Canada offers employment consultants and other career practitioners advanced training in all aspects of presenting a holistic Value Proposition. If you are looking for professional development or further assistance in learning the theory, you can find additional complimentary resources on the website, www.CareerProCanada.ca