What are key selling features?
Your three or four qualifications that will be most important to the company you are applying to.
What can be considered a key selling feature?
If you are applying for an advertised job, what important qualifications are they looking for? If you meet those requirements, those will be your key selling features. However, if you are targeting employers that haven’t advertised any positions, then you have to decide what you think will be most important to them.
Your key selling features could include anything in your background – it all depends on the industry, company, and position you target:
- Number of years/months of relevant work experience.
- Relevant academic education.
- Relevant workplace training or certification.
- Language skills.
- Availability.
- Driver’s licence.
- Particular computer skills.
Do they ever change?
Different qualifications are important to different employers. If you are applying for a job in a restaurant, one of your key selling features may be your Food Safe Certificate. However, if you’re also applying for a job in a clothing store, recognize that your Food Safe Certificate will be irrelevant to employers in fashion retail. Always try to put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager and ask yourself what qualifications would be most important to them.
How do you use your key selling features?
Since they are your most relevant and important qualifications for a chosen target, you need to make sure employers know about them. Therefore, they should be showcased in a prominent position on your resume, such as in a summary of qualifications at the top. They should also be referred to in a cover letter, if you use one, included in your sales pitch when you meet a hiring manager or network contact in person, and discussed in greater detail in a job interview.
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