By: Shawna Wright

Why do people buy a product? Because it has a perceived value, something that benefits them. The same can be said for the hiring process. When an HR representative is looking to hire, they are looking to buy—you. As David H. Roper, a Massachusetts-based career development expert and President of A-Script, says in his book, Getting the Job You Want Now!, “You are the product. They [HR representatives] are the market.”  His advice is for job seekers to think of themselves as a product with a value, rather than a person with a need.

The best way to position yourself favorably in the eyes of a hiring manager is to identify your benefits and what that means for the company.  If you’re looking into several different positions or multiple job fields, you may have to tweak your “product value” to match their respective needs. Show your prospective employer why your particular background, special skills, innate abilities and past contributions make you an employee with added value and an asset to their company.

Explains Roper, “Years ago I went to a Boat Show in Boston, looking to buy a canoe. When I intently entered a booth where there were both canoes and high-speed powerboats, the salesman sensed I was hot to buy. But he made on critical mistake. He didn’t understand my needs and tried to sell me a powerboat. I patiently waited out his sales pitch, not wanting to be abrupt. But he’d already lost me. If he didn’t care to understand my needs…why should I fulfill his?”

The goal is to brand and market yourself as something desirable. Take time and do a little homework on the company you are looking to get hired at. If you understand what that hiring manager is looking for, you can better present yourself as a solution to their problem.