Transform Your Job Search With 3 Simple Questions

If you want to write a killer CV, nail an interview, or get a promotion, there are three simple – but hugely effective – questions you need to answer in all of your career collateral to really ramp up your chances of success…

When it comes to changing jobs, being able to promote yourself effectively is essential. But when we mention self-promotion many people automatically think ‘bragging’ and feel decidedly uncomfortable talking about their achievements and what makes them good at their job.

If that sounds like you, you’re not alone.  However, playing yourself down, or simply keeping quiet when you’ve done a good job, won’t help you get ahead – and in fact, can have quite the opposite effect on your career.

Self-promotion doesn’t mean you need to get all rah-rah and ram your latest achievement down everyone’s throat. But you do need to do more than simply hope the people you need to influence will miraculously realise how great you are.

Being able to tell others why you should be hired, promoted, or referred is an important component in career development and not something to shy away from.

So to get started, there are 3 key questions we recommend you get clear on so that – when you need to promote yourself – you draw attention to your best assets and feel prepared and comfortable for this type of critical conversation: –

1.  How have you added value?

Being able to articulate specifically how you’ve added value to a team or business is something every hiring manager wants to hear.  So it’s crucial you’re crystal clear on HOW you do that and are able to convey that message clearly to others.

For example, talking about the fact that you manage a team is not how you add value – that’s simply listing a responsibility.

However, mentioning how you’ve grown your team and improved retention rates during a challenging restructure, and that productivity has improved by 35% for example, paints a much clearer picture of how you’ve truly added value to that team or organisation.

Action: Write down at least 5 specific examples of how you’ve added value in your current job.

2.  How have you solved a problem?

Every team and business has problems from time to time, some more than others, so if you can talk about how you’ve solved a specific issue you instantly become more valuable than someone who avoids tricky situations and has never found themselves in a more challenging situation.

Being able to tell someone about a problem you’ve solved, and how your expertise would be beneficial to their team or company, is a great way to improve your perceived value and promote yourself as someone who could be an asset to their business.

Action: Write down at least 5 specific examples of how you’ve solved a problem in your career and what the outcomes were, attributing facts and figures that back up the results where possible.

3.  How have you helped make or save money?

Every business is about making money in one way or another, so being able to explain how you’ve personally helped make or save money in an organisation is another skill that definitely needs promoting.

Any hiring manager worth their salt will be interested in specifics of this nature so whether you’re looking for a new job, or trying to get ahead in your current position, make sure you’re clear on how you’ve improved the bottom line and made or saved money in your career.

Action: Write down at least 5 specific examples of how you’ve saved or made money in your career so far and how you did that.  Importantly, you don’t have to be in a sales role to be able to demonstrate this kind of information – just think about the bigger picture and how your job fits into the objectives of the organisation.  If you’re an Executive Assistant for example, perhaps you’ve organised an event where you negotiated a cheaper venue rate, or maybe the way you bulk order stationary saves the company money.

Once you have clear examples of these 3 key areas make sure you convey them on your resume, LinkedIn profile, in interviews, at networking events, and in meetings with your boss where appropriate.  Getting clear on what makes you an asset will also help increase your confidence and help you feel more comfortable talking about your achievements to others.

Need help with your job search? Looking for career advice? Drop us a line mail@butlerhr.com.au or call 02 4229 9142