How to pitch your strategic value in job interviews

Applicants for government jobs, particularly at the APS 6 and above levels in the APS, need to be able to explain the value they offer by performing a role. Yet this is an exercise that many struggle to perform.

Regardless of level of seniority, public servants are expected to understand how their own work contributes to team, section or organisational goals, and the relationship between these goals and operational tasks. The higher you go in responsibility, the more you are expected to understand the broader environment of an organisation, including the APS operating environment.

Many job applications and interviews include making a ‘pitch’ for the role. This can mean explaining why you want to work in an organisation and in this particular role. To do this involves understanding what motivates you about the work you do, what you bring to a role and why this will be of value to an organisation. In other words, what will we get out of employing you?

In customer service terms, this translates into ‘What’s in it for me?’ or your WIIFM.

In making a verbal pitch for a job applicants can be skilled at summarising their extensive experience, various qualifications, and relevant skills. They may even be able to state what they’re passionate about. But when it comes to articulating their value or WIIFM, they’re stumped.

So how do you identify your WIIFM? A basic internet search will identify lists of motivators. These lists include:

  • Doing meaningful and challenging work.
  • Believing in what an organisation stands for.
  • Compensation and benefits.
  • Career opportunities.
  • The chance to make an impact.
  • Opportunities to learn.
  • Having fun.
  • Organisational culture and people.

Such motivators are generic in nature. While some may be relevant to your pitch, they don’t get to the heart of your motivation for this role. Knowing what your work values are can help. Again, a basic internet search will take you to numerous tools and information about work values. These values include:

  • Having variety in work.
  • Dealing with challenging issues/problems.
  • Providing excellent client service.
  • Building high performance teams.
  • Taking responsibility for delivering key results.
  • Managing demanding projects.

With this knowledge an applicant can tailor their response to a particular role and organisation, particularly if they are making changes. For example, an applicant who manages projects and applies for a similar role in another organisation might say:

“With ten years’ experience managing projects I work at my best when taking responsibility for demanding projects that involve building high performance teams. This role provides me with greater project management challenges while making a difference to how staff across the organisation perform their work…”

The next part is about expressing the value of what the applicant offers, tailored to the context of the role. Let’s assume that the applicant has most of the relevant skills and knowledge and has a track record in managing projects that deliver results. The new role involves managing a major project that costs millions of dollars, is high risk, high profile, and important to the government. The project team are geographically distributed and some are new to the team.

Our applicant has done their homework. They understand that the project is designed to reduce duplication of effort, remove obsolescent systems, digitise some processes to reduce inefficiencies, errors and delays, and reduce complaints from end-users. Our applicant could focus on fixing these problems, by saying something like:

“As a skilled manager, with a track record in delivering projects on time and on budget, I will lead the team to ensure that duplication, obsolescence, errors and inefficiencies are reduced and the project is completed on time and on budget.”

While this statement goes some way to identify the value of employing this person, it doesn’t reflect a strategic understanding of the role. While the project is designed to deal with all of the identified problems, the question still remains – So what? What is the greater good that interests the organisation and the government?

Our applicant may need to do further research into strategic/corporate plans, recent announcements, and project history. This may reveal that the project carries serious risks associated with organisational reputation and cyber security, and links to the government’s promise to deliver services online. This knowledge may lead to a revised pitch, such as:

“As a skilled manager, with a track record in building skilled, cohesive teams that deliver projects on time and on budget, I will lead this project to ensure that risks are identified and managed so that trust is fostered in this organisation’s ability to deliver the government’s online services promise.”

With more thought, our applicant may further refine their response, so they can remember it, and deliver it comfortably and confidently. The current version of the pitch is:

“With ten years’ experience managing projects, I work at my best when taking responsibility for demanding projects that involve building high performance teams. This role provides me with greater project management challenges while making a difference to how staff across the organisation perform their work.
As a skilled manager, with a track record in building skilled, cohesive teams that deliver projects on time and on budget, I will lead this project to ensure that risks are identified and managed so that trust is fostered in this organisation’s ability to deliver the government’s online services promise.”

There is now some overlap between the two paragraphs. A revised version might be:

“With ten years’ experience managing projects, I work at my best when taking responsibility for demanding projects that involve building high performance teams. This role provides me with greater project management challenges while building a skilled, cohesive team that delivers results on time and on budget.
As a skilled project manager, I will lead this project to ensure that risks are identified and managed so that trust is fostered in this organisation’s ability to deliver the government’s online services promise.”

This may not be the best or final version. It is certainly an improvement on a summary of experience, knowledge and skills.

When crafting a response to a ‘why do want this job’ question, there are several ways to start, including:

  • What motivates me to consider this role is …
  • This role appeals to me because …
  • What drives me is … and this role provides me with the opportunity to …
  • I’m energised by the opportunity to …
  • I’m passionate about …

In summary, when crafting a verbal pitch to use at interview, the key steps to consider are:

  • Research the role and the organisation, including strategic documents that give organisational context.
  • Work out what motivates you about the work you do and the role you’re interested in.
  • Work out what difference you will make if appointed to this role. What pain will you save your manager experiencing? How will your team, section, division, organisation benefit from having you do this role?
  • If you are already in the role, what difference have you already made that you wish to continue?
  • Craft a response that is succinct, tailored, and asserts what you offer (no need to give copious detail to support your pitch).
  • Rehearse your verbal pitch out loud, and refine further if needed.
Dr Ann Villiers, career coach, writer and author, is Australia’s only Mental Nutritionist specialising in mind and language practices that help people build flexible thinking, confident speaking and quality connections with people.