Why should I hire you? Tell them this!
Why should I hire you? How would you respond? That is what employers are essentially asking you as you apply and interview for jobs. To establish yourself as a viable candidate for a position, you must possess the appropriate professional skills and experience. One challenge during the job search process is that many of the other candidates will have equal, if not better, qualifications than you. How can you set yourself apart? Consider going beyond the usual answers and integrating information based on your personality and values. This information can be a difference maker that will allow you to illustrate, unlike any other candidates, how you will be a fit for the position and organization.
So, how exactly can you do this? Your first step is to examine and identify your own personality and values. What kind of person are you? What is most important to you in your life? You can informally do an inventory to identify this information, or you can go a more formal route by using a specific instrument. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a career assessment that allows to you identify psychological preferences in regards to your personality. The Values in Action Inventory of Strengths is a psychological assessment that identifies your character strengths. These are just two examples of ways to identify your preferences through an assessment. Are you an outgoing person? Someone who loves to learn new things? The go-to for friends that need advice? Is helping people an important part of your professional goals? Is close proximity to your home and child’s school more important that earning a higher wage at a job that requires a long commute or extensive travel? Some of my values and priorities have changed over the course of my career as I’ve moved through different life stages. Yours most likely will as well, but as you consider your next career move identify what is most important to you at that point in your life.
Next, do some research to gain an understanding of the organization’s culture and values. You can find this information via examining its website, talking to employees and other professionals in the industry, following the organization’s social media accounts, and reading reviews of the organization on sites like Glassdoor.com and LinkedIn. What is the company’s mission? Does it have a values statement? Does it impact their community through the work it does or the charitable initiatives it supports? Check out what leaders say in relation to these topics. Do employees work in teams or more independently? What are the benefits that the company offers? Does it invest in professional development or family support services such as daycare for its employees?
Once you have all of this information, connect it all together. How do your personality and values mesh with that of the organization? As you interview, ask questions about company culture and why the employer representatives enjoy working there. Integrate information about your personality and values into the answers to the questions that prospective employers ask you. If you learned that authenticity is a core value of the organization and it’s one of yours as well, tell a story to illustrate that fact and then explain that you are excited to join an organization that possesses a value that you share. This takes your candidacy beyond a question of skills and values, and more towards the person you are and how you possess intrinsic motivation to succeed. Organizations want employees that can do the job and fit with its culture. Showcasing this during the interview process will set you apart from the other candidates in a unique way, which is an additional positive dimension.
Personality and values guide your life and motivate you, and they are foundation upon which an organization operates as well. Alignment of these things between you and a prospective job opportunity or company increases your chances of being successful from both personal and professional perspectives, which can indicate long-term success in the role. Connect these dots for prospective employers to set yourself apart from other candidates and land a job that truly suits you.
