by Angela Loëb, Career/Personal Vision Consultant, InSync Resources
There’s one underlying question on everyone’s mind during the hiring process. And, as an HR professional, you know this is the big one, whether or not you’ve ever been involved in the recruiting function.
That question is… “Why Should I Hire You?”
Guess what? The answer lies not only in what you can tell them about about your qualifications, your hard-earned degree or certification and your fabulous work history. While those things are all important, what I’m getting at is that your answer needs to go deeper than that.
Why?
Because there are many other HR professionals in the market who also have suitable backgrounds and qualifications for the job opening.
The deeper and most important part of the answer is how you are different.
In order to answer the question well, you must know HOW you are different so you can articulate it clearly and according to their needs.
What’s So Different About You?
There is definitely something unique about you. You were born with this uniqueness. Others know what it is because they come to you for it. Since you’ve had this uniqueness all your life, you might be too close to it to see it. You live in the skin you’re in, and it’s hard to look at yourself from the outside.
But there is, indeed, something unique and different about you.
A client once told me that she is known for being the glue that holds everything. Another said that she is very tenacious and that walls only appear when she stops.
These are great examples of compelling and memorable ways to describe uniqueness.
Uniqueness Formula
Over the years, I've developed an easy way to figure out your uniqueness. I call it the Unique Promise of Value Formula, which is Talent + Passion + Impact.
It’s simple. You identify your unique core talent – the one that you are most passionate about using – and then cross check it by determining how you’ve made an impact using it.
For the Talent part of the formula, make an inventory your special talents and skills. Write down everything that comes to mind, even if it seems too obvious. Chances are what comes easy to you may be just what makes you unique and special.
There is a distinction between talents and skills. Talents come easily to you – they’re inborn abilities. Skills are what you have learned to do. Skills may or may not be related to your talents. Some of your talents may still be raw and undeveloped. For example, maybe you had natural music ability when you were younger but never had the opportunity or perhaps chose not to develop skills like reading and writing music or playing a musical instrument. Start with the skills you enjoy using and see if they track back to a natural talent that you have enjoyed developing.
When it comes to Passion, you should think about the talent that you have the most passion for when using it. If you need help figuring this out, pay attention to what tasks you do that energize you or that you enjoy doing so much that you lose track of time (in a good way, of course!).
If passion isn't a word that resonates for you, try approaching it as what makes you feel deeply satisfied and contented. Like everything is right in the world during the time when you’re working or performing that particular activity. Basically, you can’t not do this… whatever it is. In fact, you’d do it (and probably already do it) for free.
When you're looking at the Impact part of the formula, look at those accomplishments that came out of the work you really enjoyed doing. I’ve noticed that many of us have the tendency to be good girls and boys who get results because we are trained to be that way or because we need to get the gold-star recognition or because it’s the right thing to do when we’re on someone’s payroll. What I’d like you to focus on is what you did to make a difference because you were all in.
The core talent you’re so passionate about using that you can’t not do it will have a positive impact in some way. So look for examples of results that validate the other parts of the formula.
You make a difference – and add value – when you do something that not only gets results, it ignites you and satisfies your soul.
Pull these three elements together, and you’ll be able to articulate why they should hire you. You’ll be able to tell them why you are NOT just another HR Professional.
“Everyone has been made for some particular work
and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”
– Rumi
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Angela Loëb has been in the career services field for over 20 years and is the author of two books about job search. Connect with her at http://about.me/angelarloeb.
And if you want to learn more about the importance of finding and leveraging your own uniqueness as an HR professional, please come to the 2013 CareerConnects event sponsored by AHRMA on September 26 at the Long Center. Click HERE for more details.
by Bryan Chaney
