What is Your Value Proposition?

Investopedia.com defines a value proposition as “[a] business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service. This statement should convince a potential consumer that one particular product or service will add more value or solve a problem better than similar offerings.”  The concept of a personal value proposition goes far beyond marketing products and services and should be more than a statement.  In this article, I will suggest ways to create or improve your value proposition for potential and current employers and clients.

While there may be signs of the job market recovering, the fact of the matter is that it is not easy to find jobs/clients these days.  Sure you have a college degree, but everyone does. What have you done to set yourself apart?  Why should an employer or client choose you over the hundreds of thousands of people in your field? This is where a solid value proposition comes into play. A value proposition is so much more than a simple statement.  It should be reflected in your resume, cover letter and the way you portray yourself.  Here are a few suggestions to how one can go about developing a value proposition. 

Draft your Dream Resume 
Sit down and draft your dream resume.  This should include every position you want, when you want to have it, what accolades you want and when you want them.  This may seem silly, but what it will do is give you a clear path (and hopefully some inspiration) of what you need to do and at what pace you should be climbing the corporate ladder.  Your dream resume will not determine the exact path you take, but it will provide you with the road map that you need and allow you to say “I know my value, because I know where I’m going.” This will show that you are driven to succeed and inspired by a challenge. 

Compare your Dream Resume to your Real Resume 
This may be the painful part, but it is necessary.  Knowing what you’re missing can be just as important as knowing what you have.  While you may not yet have all of the attributes you want, you have skills and talents that are marketable.  Identify your value and be able to explain how your talent will get you to the next level and ultimately achieve your goals.  It may also not be a bad thing that your experience isn’t currently in line with your current career as it will encourage you to turn the differences into traits that make you a special and unique candidate. 

Identify your targets 
Once you have drafted your dream resume and compared it to your current resume, your targets should be easier to identify.  Look for industries or markets that will also allow you to reach the positions and obtain the accolades that you so desire by creating a list of your targets. 

Study your Targets 
What does the company or client value and how do you share this value?  What specific need does the company or client have and how will you fulfill this role? What problems are they trying to solve and how will your skill-set allow you to solve this problem better than your competitors? What key responsibilities will the organization as a whole count on from this role?

These are merely the stepping stones to developing a sound value proposition.  The list is by no means exhaustive and a value proposition can always be improved, as your value increases with every new experience.  Decide the best way you should incorporate these ideas in your ever-increasing value and begin establishing your successful career. Good luck!

Written by: DeAndre Morrow

DeAndre Morrow prides himself on being a highly self-motivated individual. If he says he is going to achieve or do something, then he will achieve or do it. In May of 2013 DeAndre received his Juris Doctor from the Charleston School of Law and passed the Maryland bar examination in July 2013. He is currently an Associate with the law firm of Leftwich & Ludaway LLC in Washington, D.C. where he is a member of the firm’s general business transactions and litigation practice groups.