Job Search Success Starts With Your Personal Value Statement

Before you start thinking about changing careers or looking for a new job, nailing down your Personal Value Statement is critical.

Your “PVS” is a brief statement about the value you provide as a professional. It's a combination of your transferrable skills, strengths, and expertise. 

Your Personal Value Statement is how you articulate your value in interviews and networking conversations. 

When a manager starts an interview with, “Tell me about yourself,” most candidates just recite their resume and ramble on about their experience. 

You're missing an opportunity to make a good first impression when you start an interview like that. Your interviewer will already be thinking about their next meeting, and the rest of the conversation will be an uphill struggle to get them excited about hiring you.

However, if you explain clearly and confidently the value you will bring to them and their organization, you’ll start strong, setting the tone for the rest of the interview.

So, how do you craft your PVS? Let’s dive into how you can effectively convey your skills, experience, and value to anyone you meet along your career change journey.

The Power of a Personal Value Statement (PVS)

Think of it like this: An effective salesperson knows their product inside and out, and they can answer any question quickly and with confidence. In the job market, you are both the salesperson and the product.  

As someone going after a new role, you must be fluent in talking about your experience, transferable skills, value, etc.

Typically, you’ll explain these things at the beginning of any conversation, and if you nail the responses, you’ll set the tone for the rest of this conversation. If you start out floundering, you’ll come off unprepared and unsure of yourself, causing the other person to lack confidence in you as well.

Rest assured; there is an easy-to-follow format that will guide you to develop a strong, powerful personal pitch.

The Personal Value Statement Framework

“Hello, my name is [insert name].

I’m currently pursuing a career in [Target: insert role/career] because of [insert reason],

and I believe I’m a great fit because…

[#1: Transferable skills/experience], 

[#2: Role Specific Training], 

and [#3: Intangibles].

Because of this, I know I’ll ramp up quickly and make significant contributions to your team!”

________

Now, let’s fill in the blanks!

Target

Your PVS begins with a clear target. If you are someone making a career move, this is the role or career path you’re pursuing and your reasons for pursuing it. It’s best to frame your reasons such that you’re chasing something you don’t currently have versus running away from your current employer.

For example, rather than say, “I don’t like my current job and need a better one,” you’d say, “I’m pursuing a new role that will challenge me, where I can make an impact and have opportunities to earn more.” 

Fit Point #1 - Transferable Skills and Experience

Include your experience and how your current or previous roles will help you succeed in your new position. For example, if you’re transitioning from a role as a teacher to a Sales Engineering role, you would talk about your public speaking skills, time management skills, and ability to support a variety of stakeholders in a high-demand environment.

Fit Point #2 - Role Specific Training or Education

Highlight the education and training you have related to this role. Here you talk about specialized training, degrees, or certifications you have or are currently working on. This shows your dedication to gaining proficiency in the skills and knowledge required for your target role. For instance, if you’re an aspiring Customer Success Manager, you’ll want to show you understand account management concepts and that you’re developing your data analysis and presentation skills.

Fit Point #3 - Intangibles

The final point shows determination and drive because even though you don’t have prior experience in the role, you’ll do whatever it takes to learn what’s needed. Attitude, a desire to learn, and a commitment to growth are often more valuable to employers than your existing skills or experience. By showcasing your eagerness to embrace challenges, you show yourself as a candidate who is excited to make an impact and contribute to the team’s success.

Putting it All Together

Here’s an example of a strong statement in an interview:

________

“Hi, I’m Alex, 

Target 

I’m actively pursuing a Sales Development role because I love working with people to solve problems using technology. I want to be challenged and have more career progression opportunities, which I believe I will get in tech sales. 

Transferable Skills

And as a former educator, I enjoy connecting with new people regularly; I’m highly organized and efficient with my time. 

In all the positions you can see on my resume, I’ve played two primary roles: problem-solver and persuader. Most recently, as a high school teacher, my school was struggling to communicate curriculum changes to parents and students. Within a month, I reached out to all my students' parents, sharing the changes and getting their buy-in. The new curriculum was a hit with our students and resulted in 20% higher test scores. 

Role Specific Training 

I believe I’d be an excellent fit for the SDR position at your company because I recently completed a Sales Development training program where I developed competency in performing cold outreach over the phone, email, and social channels. I also manage and organize leads in a CRM. 

Intangibles

I want to be a top-performing sales rep and am constantly exploring new ways to be more effective in Sales. I’ve been reviewing and analyzing my recorded cold calls every night. I’m also currently reading the book: Challenger Sale.

Because of this, I know I’ll ramp up quickly and make significant contributions to your team! “

________

That’s a powerful 70-second Personal Value Statement. 

The key is to deliver your PVS clearly, confidently, and naturally (you’re not a robot). Practice giving it to your partner, friend, mom, and anyone who will listen. 

Conclusion

Nailing the question “Tell me about yourself” is crucial for making a solid first impression in any professional setting. Having a strong Personal Value statement is the most effective way to answer that question and showcase your experience, transferable skills, and Value.

With practice and preparation, you will confidently answer this question and set yourself up for success in your next interview or networking conversation.

Yuji

P.S. Here’s my PVS as another example:

My name is Yuji. I’m building Better Career, an organization focused on helping people find, start, and advance in Tech careers. After seeing the lack of progress in the systems and advice given to job seekers despite a significant shift in the job market, my mission is to eliminate the anxiety, stress, and loneliness of the job search and replace it with motivation, clarity, and connectedness. I’m building Better Career to give career changers and job seekers better access to life-changing careers in Tech.

I spent the last 12 years building hyper-growth Tech companies. I was an early employee at highly successful companies, Apptio and Outreach, where I created and led customer-facing teams in PreSales, Customer Success, and Services. Most recently, I co-founded PreSales Collective, a thriving community of 35k+ members, and PreSales Academy, a reskilling program that has helped numerous people make career pivots into their first tech roles. 

I’m passionate about helping people, and I want to share my experience and network to help you get into a career you love. 

If you could use help landing your next AE or SE role, we can help! Apply to work with us 1-on-1. We'll personally reach out to chat about how we can help you accelerate your job search.