How to Showcase Your Value to Potential Employers

During your job search, it is vital to demonstrate to the hiring manager what you can contribute to the company. Employers seek candidates who will enhance their organization, and the hiring manager's objective is to recruit top performers who will excel in the role. To make it easier for them to see your value, show that you are highly qualified for the job. Your resume, cover letter, and other job application materials should showcase how you have added value in your previous positions. If you are invited for an interview, be prepared to share examples of your achievements to prove that you are the perfect fit for the position. By clearly illustrating your past successes, you will help employers understand why you would be an asset to their team.

Strategies for Demonstrating Your Value

Define "success" in your past roles. Reflect on how success was measured in your previous positions before discussing your job performance. Identify specific metrics for success in each job you have held. Make a list of your accomplishments. Once you have established what success meant in your previous roles, outline instances where you excelled. Quantify your achievements. Find ways to quantify your successes using numbers to demonstrate how you have contributed value to past employers. Make a list of any awards or recognition you have received in your career. Highlight your value-related keywords. Incorporate active verbs and keywords in your job materials that emphasize how you added value in your previous roles.

When and How to Highlight Your Value

Emphasize your achievements in your resume by using bullet points in the work history section to showcase how you added value to each company. Consider including your most significant accomplishments in your resume summary. Share a compelling story in your cover letter by detailing specific skills or abilities that demonstrate your fit for the job. Quantify your successes and emphasize any awards received to showcase your value to potential employers. During a job interview, be prepared to discuss how you have added value in your previous roles and provide examples of your successes to demonstrate your potential value to the organization.

Examples of Demonstrating Your Value

Use these examples as inspiration when crafting your resume, cover letter, and interview responses:

<strong>Sample Employment History Section of a Resume</strong>

<em>Senior Event Coordinator, ABC Events, Boston, MA 2017-Present</em>

Planned and executed over 125 events for groups of up to 300 participants.

Managed event budgets of up to $50,000, completing events under budget 100% of the time.

Received an average of 4.81 out of 5 stars from clients.

<em>Wedding Planner Assistant Coordinator, Claire Smith Weddings, Hartford, CT 2015-2017</em>

Co-planned and executed over 25 weddings with parties of up to 250 people.

Managed relationships with over 20 vendors across the greater New England area.

Promoted to assistant coordinator due to excellent budgeting and organizational skills.

<strong>Sample Paragraph from a Cover Letter</strong>

"I am extremely comfortable working in fast-paced environments. As a hostess at ABC Restaurant for three years, I seated an average of 300 tables per day. In my role as a runner and bartender at XYZ Bar and Taproom, I served 200-400 customers on weekend nights. My supervisor awarded me "Employee of the Month" for my ability to handle the pressures of a busy work environment."

<strong>Sample Response to an Interview Question</strong>

"I have experience working in startup environments like yours and enjoy being innovative and creative. In my previous role as director of operations, I implemented a new scheduling system that reduced missed meetings and errors by 20% and offered training courses to ensure successful implementation from day one."