Why Should We Choose You?

Welcome to Your Worthy Career, a podcast with me, Melissa Lawrence. I’m a career and life coach with all the corporate credit and talent development and organizational psychology. I help women like you get extraordinary results by being more you, not less. I won’t just help you have a career experience worthy of you, but I will help you build your self self-worth to shift what you think is possible and take the action that will create the career you’ve always wanted. Whether it’s more meaningful work you’re passionate about, making more money, getting to your next level, or being more effective as a leader. We are shattering the glass ceiling here. The one that exists for women at work and the one we put on ourselves with our doubt and inner critic. Each week you will get practical teachings grounded in neuroscience and effective career development strategies. You’ll experience deep mindset shifts and the perfect amount of rule so you can run your career with ease rather than your career running you. You were born for more, and I’m going to help you get there with maybe a few dance parties along the way.

Your up level begins now.

Hello, hello, and happy Wednesday, friends. Now, when I am recording this episode, it is 80 degrees outside. What? Summer is going to be here before we know it. We just got back from spring break vacation where we visited my family in Wisconsin, and it was quite the adventure. We drove there. It was about a 15 hour drive, both kids, the puppy, our other dog, and everything went so well. My puppy is nine months old now and she did so good. I was so worried that she was going to get sick or be really needy because she does get motion sickness, but she did so good. So it was definitely an adventure and it’s not slowing down on my front. This weekend I’m going to Kentucky, of all places. I have never been there to meet with my business coach to map out my three year business plan, and I’m really looking forward to that. So by the time you hear this episode, I will already be back and you will probably start to see a little bit of the behind the scenes, especially if you follow me on Instagram. I put a lot of behind the scenes on my stories of what’s happening in my business and what happened on that trip.

So I’m just so grateful for how my business has taken off and that I’m in this space almost three years since I left my corporate job. I can’t believe it. And now I am planning for the next three years. So if you’ve been around here for a minute, you have seen the growth, the changes in how I work with you, and it’s just going to continue to evolve. So stay tuned for some new and exciting things coming down the road. Now, enough of the personal update. Let’s get into the topic for today, and that is how to answer the question, why should we choose you? Or why are you the best person for this position? Granted, they don’t say it with that level of staff, but you get my drift. It is such a big question. As I’ve had several of my clients actively interviewing lately. No, Pharma BioTech is not dead. It’s actually, there’s a lot of great jobs out there still. And I’ve had a lot of clients interviewing. And we’ve been doing some interview prep, and not just in the sense of what questions to ask or how to answer specific questions, but also how to advocate for yourself in the interview process, how to feel confident through the interview, even if you have gaps in your knowledge or experience, what red flags to look out for, and we even do some role playing.

I know, cringe, right? The idea of role playing, it makes me a little uncomfortable also, but it’s so helpful because it takes what is in your mind that you think you’re going to say, and we always think something is going to be different in our mind than when it actually comes out of our mouth. And in the coaching space, it’s such a safe and private container for you to say out loud and practice what you think you’re going to say. So I can hear it, listen for any observations or insights for what you might want to tweak to improve on. And even you just saying it out loud, you’ll identify things that you want to change, and we can make sure that your answers are just really clear and really showcasing your best version of yourself. So my client was practicing her response to, Why are you the best person for this position? And today I want to give you some insight into how to answer this question for yourself to really set yourself apart from the competition to stand out as different in the best way. Most people will reply to this question, repeating your resume and your qualifications, and how you will be able to be successful in the role.

But when you do that, you’re missing a big piece. The person interviewing you, they already know you’re qualified. That’s why you’re there. They already know what your resume says. So you’re not telling them anything new, even though that’s the natural inclination is to give that response. And I laugh about it because it is so logical to give that response and to just regurgitate it. But we don’t always think that we’re actually doing that. We sometimes think we’re giving a new novel response that we’re really summarizing everything really nicely. And although that can work, depending on the person you’re talking to, there is a better way. So when you use the guidance that I’m going to provide you here, you’re going to set yourself apart from the status quo. You’re going to get all of the right attention, and you’re going to show them that you’re the best fit for the job, not just tell them that you are. All right, Let’s get right into the nitty gritty. This is how to frame your response to this question. I want you to start at the high level of why you’re interested in this position and what you will be able to do for them when you’re in it.

The company wants to know that you aren’t just trying to get a job and that you’re qualified. They want to know that you want to work for them, to understand who they are, what they do, and how you fit. It’s like the what’s in it for me. Everyone that they are interviewing is qualified. So what are you going to do for them, say for them, that the other people are not? How can you demonstrate your competitive advantage? What makes you different? This is where your unique value proposition comes in. Are you exceptional at process improvement or operational excellence? Are you a strong leader who is an incredible team leader, known for creating high performing teams? Are you passionate about regulatory compliance and ensuring the company delivers on their milestones while also instilling confidence that they will pass any inspection? Are you a technical expert, strong scientifically, but also able to lead well? What is it that you bring to the table? Another way to look at this is, what do you see as a s the challenges or opportunities this company has that this position is responsible for? And how are you going to make their job easier while delivering for the company?

Don’t be afraid to add your personality here. Remember, these are people that you are potentially going to be working with several hours a day, every day, whether you’re remote or in person or some combination. You are assessing their fit for you as much as they are assessing your fit for them. So you want to be yourself. Be confident and clear on the value you bring and why you are genuinely excited and interested in this position. You don’t have to fake a response or try to come up with something you think will sound good. Just reflect on what you are honestly interested in about this position. And as a side note, if you aren’t interested in this position, if you’re listening and you are thinking, But I really just want another job. If this role that you’re applying for, interviewing for isn’t lighting you up, then that is a sign that it isn’t a good fit or you’re just running away from your current situation. And maybe you know that, but that’s not the best way to go. And you know who to call if that is the case. Set up a consultation call for coaching, and let’s talk about my process for ensuring you know exactly what you want, and you’re only spending your time on those opportunities that are lighting you up.

But let’s assume that you do really want this position. Then tell them why and what you’ll bring. Don’t be a robot regurgitating your resume. Now, in this response, you can also add in the impact that you’ve made in your career. Think of the impact you’ve made on your department or company deliverables. How have you helped them save money, get to productivity more quickly, delivered on important milestones, improved processes that led to savings and cost or time? No matter what your level is, you can make a line from your contribution to the company’s bottom line. When you add some impact statements to your response, it is providing proof that you can do what you’re saying you can do. So the framework for your response is number one, start at the high level of why you’re interested in the position. Two, summarize the value that you will bring to the role. And three, close with proven impact. Remember, your answers to this framework are true to you. You don’t have to worry about being perfect or saying the right words in the right order. That will come off robotic, and it’s going to void you of your amazing personality.

Just give your honest response to why you’re interested, the value that you think you will bring to the role, and share some accomplishments that demonstrate it. You know what you’re talking about because this is your lived experience. I’m just helping you reflect on it, bring the most important pieces to the front, and package it in a way that is going to be received well. Give this a try and let me know how it goes for you. You can always tag me on social media or send me a message, or even add it to a podcast review. I love hearing how you’re incorporating what you’re learning. I will link in the show notes an episode that I did a while back on preparing for your interview. There’s a question that I highly, highly suggest you ask at the end of your interviews that is proven to help you get the job. So if you’re looking for a broader episode on preparing for your interview, I’m going to link that up for you so that you can go listen to it right now. All right, have an amazing week.

I have something special for you.

Episode is over, but that doesn’t mean your development ends here.

If you enjoyed the podcast episode today, head to my website at.

Yourworthycareer.com and check out additional free resources you can get access to right now. From joining my free VIP insiders to downloadable resources and trainings, you won’t want to miss it. Head there now.