A hot dog is a hot dog, unless…
Politicians long have been known for spewing out “sound bites” and other cliche answers when pressed to respond to issues or events. The same could be said for professional athletes and coaches of big-time sports programs – professional and collegiate.
Not only do these trite responses not actually answer anyone’s questions, they annoy the journalists who are forced to listen to them and report on them. What’s more, they exceedingly annoy the voting public (or sports fans) who are supposed to benefit from their insights.
What could be worse?
How about a job seeker adopting the same tactics when applying for and/or being interviewed for a job? How uninspiring such comments must sound to a hiring manager who – trust us on this one – have heard the same boring tomes again and again.
Think about your value proposition. It’s the statement that answers the “why” someone should hire you. Can you convince a hiring manager why you will be more valuable to them than the other candidates? At your age, in this job market, having a clear, concise value proposition is more important than ever.
So… is your “value proposition” generic? Does it not stand out in written or verbal form? “I’m a go-getter.” “I work well with people.” “I learn quickly.” Yawn. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that any of that is memorable, or that it will make someone want to hire you. Today, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. What can you say about yourself that will etch your candidacy into the brain of that hiring manager?
Just like entries on your resume, does your value proposition pass the “so what” test?
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