Why You Struggle to Express What You Have to Offer

One of the most common things I hear from clients in an initial call is that they struggle to “sell” themselves in an interview or on their resume. They have trouble articulating their value, and they end up being turned down for jobs they know they were actually qualified for. Discouraged, they tell me about all the applications they’ve submitted for jobs that they never had an opportunity to interview for, as well as all the interview processes that didn’t move past the screening call. They just can’t understand why they’re not getting hired, particularly for jobs that align perfectly with their background and expertise. If you have ever experienced
this, you know it’s an incredibly frustrating place to be in your job search, and it can cause anger, discouragement, resentment, and self-doubt.

Why is it that so many qualified professionals find themselves stuck and unable to clearly express their value in a job search?

After working with over 1000 people in career transitions over the past 14 years, I’ve discovered that it always comes down to one specific problem.

If you are struggling to clearly articulate what you have to offer, you are lacking confidence!

Looking for a new position is not easy, and all of the unknowns highlight our insecurities. You may be a confident person, but if you approach your job search from the wrong perspective, representing yourself effectively will be a challenge.

Most people go into the interview process focused on what they have to gain – better compensation, more flexibility, an opportunity to advance, more benefits. You absolutely should take all of these factors into account when you’re pursuing a new job; however, your focus has to be on how you will meet a need for the organization! You need to approach the hiring process with the assurance that you have valuable skills and characteristics that will impact your future employer. Rather than hoping they “give you” an opportunity, remember that you are going to make a difference as part of the team.

Change your mindset from feeling like you need to prove why you’re better than the competition to communicating what you will do for the company in this role. Every story you tell and every example you use is supporting evidence that shows how you will influence the organization and what kind of results you will achieve.

You don’t actually need to be the BEST Project Manager in your industry, or the most intelligent Engineer, or even the most respected Leader, to be hired at the next level. You don’t have to be better than all the other candidates. You simply have to be able to communicate how your specific experience and expertise have prepared you to uniquely impact the future of the organization.

So, before you begin revising your resume, or preparing for your next interview, make sure you have the right focus!

Don’t ask the potential employer to give you a job. Communicate how your contribution to the team will meet the needs they’ve expressed and drive the results they’re looking for.