Pitch your value to employers with this 3-step formula
Connect the dots between your strengths and the employer's needs.
What is a Value Pitch?
In a job interview, a value pitch is a concise, compelling statement that clearly communicates:
Who you are and what you do
Your relevant skills & successes, and
Why you are interviewing for the position (your interest in the job/company)
It is your sales pitch that connects the dots between your strengths and the employer’s needs.
Crafting your value pitch is a fundamental step of your job search. It may take some time to put together initially, but once you have it defined, you can adapt it to other key areas like your resume, LinkedIn profile, etc.
To know what to include in your pitch, you first need to be clear on WHO your audience is.
If you are crafting a value pitch for an upcoming interview, then you’ll need to
Think from perspective of the employer.
What are their needs, challenges, goals, and values?
What key skills, experience, qualifications are they looking for?
“Tell Me About Yourself” is a tried-and-true interview question to use when preparing your value pitch.
It works because it:
Introduces you
Focuses on your key skills and achievements
Gives a concise overview of where you’ve been and where you’re going
What You’ll Need to Craft Your Pitch:
A quiet space
Computer (or notepad & pen)
A few job descriptions for positions of interest
Now on to the 3-step formula…
Step 1: Who Are You & What You Do
With this part of the pitch, you’ll:
Provide a concise overview of your current position and job title, number of years of experience, and your field/industry.
Pro Tip: Use strong adjectives (e.g., resourceful, adaptable, proactive) to describe yourself. You can refer to the job description for keywords.
Step 2: Your Skills & Successes (What You’re Good At)
Check the job description for required skills, qualifications, and experience.
Match your experience to each requirement (skill/qualification).
Come up with an achievement that demonstrates you putting a specific requirement into action.
As you are making your list, ask yourself:
What have I done that has made a difference?
What have I been recognized for?
How have I gone above and beyond the day-to-day in my jobs?
What sets me apart from other candidates?
Choose your top 3 most important/relevant qualities and 1-2 achievements that demonstrate how you successfully used those qualities. These will become your core speaking points.
Need more help with brainstorming achievements? Check out this article!
How to stand out as a job seeker
Step 3: Why You’re Interested in the Job
Finally, you’ll want to tie in your interest to the job and company, and briefly share how it fits with your career goals.
Questions to consider:
Why do you want to change jobs?
What are you seeking in your next job?
What drew you to this job/company?
Put your notes together and voila you have your value pitch!
When written out your pitch should be a few paragraphs or less (when spoken, it should ideally be not much longer than 1 minute).
By the end of your pitch, the employer should be clear on:
What you do
The value and impact you bring
How your skills/experience/strengths can help them
Remember to practice it out loud until you are comfortable and confident!
Want to see an example Value Pitch using this 3-step formula?
Leave a comment below or email me at brooke@interview-ally.com!
Do you know what your value is and how to pitch it in interviews? It's a vital step of your job search process and should be the first thing you nail down before applying to open positions.
Excellent advice!