Features And Benefits In Interviews

'Features and benefits' is a way of describing the attributes of an item. You're there to sell yourself as a candidate - what are the features and benefits of hiring you?

The The Interviewing Series introduces the concept of "features and benefits" to help you enhance your resume and interview performance. While often associated with sales, this tool is incredibly useful in any profession, from accounting to IT management. Features are the specific attributes you possess, such as skills or experience, while benefits are the real-world impact of those features, showing how they will help the company. By clearly demonstrating your features in terms of benefits, you make it easier for hiring managers to see why you’re the right candidate for the job.

The first step in applying this technique is to list your features. Features could include things like analysis skills, educational background, or work experience. To make this process easier, use brainstorming to jot down as many features as possible, without overthinking them. The more features you list, the more options you'll have to tailor your resume or responses to specific job opportunities. Once you have your list, you can move on to the next step—converting your features into benefits.

Converting features into benefits means translating your skills or experiences into value for the hiring company. For example, if one of your features is "analysis skills," you need to show how those skills would benefit the company. Perhaps you could explain how your ability to analyze data led to cost savings or improved performance in a past role. In an interview, you can further demonstrate these benefits by answering behavioral questions with examples that highlight how your features were used to create positive outcomes. By focusing on what’s in it for the company, you make your qualifications more persuasive and relevant to the job at hand.

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