Much of the job search advice you are bombarded with is focused on techniques, methods, and strategies for preparing your resume, getting it to the right person, getting an interview, wowing them in the interview, etc.
There is a really REALLY important step that must come first, or else none of those strategies work very well. That step is believing in your own value and that you can really contribute to your potential employer’s organization in a powerful way.
Because of the nature of most career advice focusing on techniques, we are really putting the cart before the horse. We may use all these effective techniques to get an interview and then fail to get the job because we don’t sell the interviewer on our value. And we don’t sell them on our value because we aren’t totally convinced of it ourselves.
Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from sales professionals. The most effective salespersons in my experience are the ones who totally believe they are making your life better by offering you their product or service. They are not trying to trick you into buying it just to get a sale. They truly believe in the value of what they are offering you.
And if you think about it, that makes the selling process much much easier. You don’t have to worry about being so clever and persuasive; you just need to convey the value you know you have.
So, I recommend spending some reflective time and writing down all the reasons you can think of that you would be an excellent person to hire. Think beyond a list of your skills to how those skills actually help an organization. And then totally believe it. Believe it so deep in your soul that your conviction shows in your eyes and in your voice and in your smile.
-Mike Powers
