Contribution content: Features vs Benefits

A common but misguided approach is for applicants to approach contribution to the school, club, cohort saying “I have this experience.” “I know this thing.”

This is speaking about a feature you have – but not how that feature would benefit your colleagues, clubs, culture etc

Don’t tell me the “what” – experience, area of mastery, etc – without thinking things through to the end. And by that I mean – how certain cohort-mates would benefit from that, in what way, and in which class, club, conference. What new possibilities are you creating for them? Show me the vision.

If you ask the reader or listener to figure out how your “features” will turn into benefits for the cohort, sorry but, they won’t bother to do that. And the stuff you are trying to sell just won’t be as appealing as it could.

Don’t make interviewers figure out how your feature will turn into benefits. That’s your responsibility. Tell a story about how it meets the needs of your classmates.

In the context of products and services, a feature is a specific attribute or characteristic of the product itself, while a benefit is the value or positive outcome the customer gains from using that feature. Essentially, features tell "what," while benefits tell "why" the product is desirable. 

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