What's My Worth?

As an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Air Force, I get the unique opportunity to protect and advance the American way of life. Unlike many jobs, I often get to see the real-life impact of my job performance. People's lives depend on it. The work I do and the information I am able to provide directly influences a commander's decision and can be the difference needed to save the lives of soldiers around the world. This makes the work I do and the skills I possess incredibly valuable. I have the ability to quickly learn and master new skills and tools, which can help increase my value as an employee even further. Additionally, I can fulfill my potential not only through mastering the knowledge and skills necessary to excel at my position, but I can also teach and develop others around me.

As a potential job candidate in the future, it is important that I am able to communicate the value I can provide as an employee. By knowing my worth and being able to communicate it to a potential employer, it would be important for a recruiter or hiring manager to be able to provide a job offer that takes into account the value I place on my work. While financial considerations are the most direct way to address a candidate's value to a company, the recruiter or hiring manager could also promote things like company branding, the organization's culture, training and development opportunities, room for career advancement, work-life balance, and other incentives that the company can provide.