Let’s talk about the ” What’s in it for me? ” (WIIFM) principle that’s often used in marketing, but is just as powerful when used in a job search!
Why ‘ What’s In It For Me ‘ (WIIFM) matters in your job search
WIIFM is about focusing on the benefits your audience will receive (in this case, what the employer will gain from you) rather than just listing features (what you do in general). Think of it in this way: in a job search, view yourself as the ‘seller,’ and potential employers as the ‘buyers.’
By applying WIIFM principles in your resume and interviews, what you are doing is you’re shifting the focus to what the employer will more specifically gain from hiring you. This approach helps you stand out by clearly highlighting your value and presenting you as a strong candidate.
An example of feature-focused vs WIIFM benefit-focused
Feature-focused statement:
“I have over 10 years of experience managing construction projects across various sectors, overseeing teams, and ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget. I’m skilled in coordinating teams, managing resources, and maintaining safety standards. My background includes leading projects from inception to completion while ensuring smooth collaboration with everyone involved.”
WIIFM / Benefit-focused statement:
“With over 10 years of experience in project management, I specialise in delivering construction projects on time and within budget. I achieve this by defining critical pathways and the actions my team needs to manage this, before we hit site. I engage early and consistently with key consultants and subcontractors to reduce RFIs and supply constraints so my team are not burdened with last minute surprises adding to their workload. I tend to manage my clients by providing direct and open communication and sharing with them early where we believe our greatest risk is and what we can do together to overcome it.”
The WIIFM version above highlights specific methods and practices that show HOW the candidate achieves successful project outcomes and adds value.
What’s In It For Me – What do employers want?
To do WIIFM well, you must first understand what the prospective employer wants. And from the construction perspective, we can tell you that builders are looking to understand:
- how you’re going to mitigate risk for the business
- how you’re going to deliver them successful project outcomes, and
- how you’re going to integrate into their culture
This is their ‘WIIFM’, and you need to play into it.
You can show your ‘benefits’ by giving examples of how you have:
- solved problems
- reduced risk
- shaved time off a program
- worked well with key people
- improved systems / processes, and
- ran projects to produce successful outcomes in the past
But, be mindful not just to name your achievements; provide evidence of them! For examples, read further HERE.
Looking for your next construction job? Search our current construction roles here, or to chat with our team about securing your next opportunity, get in contact with us through our Contact Us page.
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