Defining Your Value is How Opportunity Finds You

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Clarity is what sets professionals apart. The people who rise are not just those with experience, but those who can clearly articulate the impact they deliver. When you define your value with confidence, you make it easier for employers, clients, and peers to see you as indispensable.

Consider my client Mark. After 20 years in operations, his resume read like a checklist of tasks, and in interviews, he froze when asked, “What sets you apart?” He was experienced, but experience alone was not enough. Below you’ll see how we worked to sharpen his focus so his value came through with clarity and confidence.

1. Define Your Value

We started with one simple question:

📝 What can you do that others in your role often cannot?

Together, we identified three moments where Mark’s contribution had changed outcomes:

• He redesigned a supply process that saved the company $2M annually.

• He led a cross-functional project that finished three months ahead of schedule.

• He built a team culture that cut turnover by 60%.

I encouraged him to highlight impact words like optimized, spearheaded, and saved. From there, we crafted a short, powerful statement he could use in networking or interviews:

“I streamline operations, reduce costs, and build teams that stay.”

Now, instead of blending in, Mark could introduce himself with clarity and confidence.

2. Treat Yourself Like a Brand

Consumer brands stand out by answering three questions:

📝 Can they be trusted? What makes them different? Do they influence?

I asked Mark to consider his career through that same lens. Together, we drafted:

• Trusted: “I consistently deliver projects on time and on budget.”

• Different: “I combine data analysis with people-first leadership.”

• Influence: “I mentor managers who go on to lead company-wide initiatives.”

We tested these statements by sharing them with a former colleague, who confirmed: “That is exactly how I describe you.” That outside validation gave Mark the assurance he needed to use these messages with confidence.

3. Translate Experience Into Story

Tasks do not engage people. Stories do. I introduced Mark to the PEP approach:

📝 Payoff → Execution → Problem

Here is one of the stories we shaped together:

• Payoff: The company avoided downtime and saved $500K in penalties.

• Execution: Mark quickly negotiated with alternate vendors and re-routed logistics.

• Problem: A supplier shutdown threatened to halt production for two months.

By practicing this story and others like it until they flowed naturally, Mark transformed interviews into conversations. Instead of reciting duties, he showcased real impact, and interviewers leaned in.

This Fall, don’t let your career identity get buried in the leaves. Step into focus by defining what makes you distinct. Like Mark, when you know your value and can say it clearly, others will recognize your worth, too.

Go deeper: If you are ready to uncover and articulate your value with confidence, I can help. Let’s work together to sharpen your brand, tell your story, and make sure the right people see your strengths. Contact me today to start building the career brand that will carry you forward.

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Hillary Hufford-Tucker is the founder of Relevated Brands. Since 2019, she has helped professionals build relevance and elevate their visibility through distinctive resumes, LinkedIn profile optimization, and individualized personal brand plans. Hillary holds certifications in career coaching, transitions, digital strategy, and reinvention, along with an MA in strategic communications and a Level Two Award in Wine from WSET. Splitting time between Illinois and California, she’s a cyclist, author, traveler, and Syrah enthusiast, sometimes all at once.

👀Read more of her blog posts here.