What Is Your Value?

Value is a relative term.

Your ability to be creative is highly valuable if your aspiration is to become a fashion designer. But that same skill may be an obstacle if you are applying for a job in a government office where you are to follow strict regulations and policies.

Your experience as a software developer may grant you a $100K a year position in a company like Amazon or Expedia, but if you apply as a barista, most of that experience will not matter and you may be offered $10/hour like the rest of the employees.

People tend to obsess about their value – they wonder about how much they are worth, they are afraid that others will not recognize their potential, and they are reluctant to take on a position that is “below them”.

These are my thoughts:

• You have to know what you are bringing to the table – your skills, talents, experiences, your work ethic, drive, strengths, weaknesses (and the ability to manage them), network of people who support you – know all your inventory.
• Remember that your value is relative to need. In any project you are working on, you can take on many different roles. Pick the roles in which you can bring the most value to others. It may be picking the shovel and digging along, or it may be taking charge and lead them.
• Look for a place where others can truly benefit from what you have to offer. Even if the position doesn’t use all you have to offer, look for its potential to increase your value over time (like adding retail or direct customer experience to your corporate resume).
• When you are putting a price on your service, put a price tag on your time and effort and test it. Try it with your potential customers and see the reaction. But don’t sell yourself too cheap for the fear of being rejected. If you don’t value your services, they won’t either.

Do not confuse value with price. Like Warren Buffett said: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”