Standing Apart From the Crowd

Using Your U.S.P. in a Job Campaign

Copyright 2003-2010 G. A. Puleo

Viktor Frankl stated that "everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; therein he cannot be replaced."  Every person is unique with special talents or gifts that are brought to each situation. 

Unfortunately, this uniqueness is often forgotten by job candidates by unintentionally forgetting or intentionally hiding their uniqueness in order to 'fit in' with an organization, corporate culture or job market.  Inevitably, these efforts are self-defeating. 

In today's constantly changing business environments, a workforce comprised of faceless, conforming drones is incapable of catapulting an organization into the New Economy.  Creativity -- not conformity -- is the secret of innovation...and innovation is the secret to success. 

Your Unique Selling Proposition (or U.S.P.) is a fundamental marketing paradigm that requires you to not only understand your target employment market but also your unique ability to satisfy the needs of that market.  Once this is understood, then it should be highlighted and marketed to your target organizations. 

Identifying your U.S.P. can be difficult, but everyone has at least one -- and mutualy two or three -- U.S.P.'s.  The following 4 exercises will help you to identify and maxiize the power of your U.S.P. in a job campaign. 

Exercise #1: Identify your skills

The first step to disocvering your uniqueness is to identify those areas in which you excel.  Skills are grouped into three categories.  Vocational skills are used on the job and represent the minimum standards that you must meet in order to be eligible for consideration in a particular job or position (such as Board certification for a surgeon).  Supplementary skills indirectly affect your job performance and are usually unique talents that are often by others in difficult situations (such as mediating a resolution between disgruntled workers).  Transferable skills are utilized in a variety of work situations and are not limited to a particular job, industry or organization (such as transferring a kindergarten teacher's ability to quickly maintain interest into a sales position). 

Don't underestimate the variety of skills that you possess!  Experts speculate that each person is skilled in 500 to 700 functional areas.  Keep this in mind if you are changing careers -- the myriad of skills developed and refined in your previous career can be shaped into a new career path.  In fact, these supplementary skills can create a difficult-to-find but highly desirable skills package. 

Exercise #2: Transform your personality traits as capabilities

A strong factor that differentiates one job candidate from another in a hiring decision is the way in which the candidate is able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the position.  Personality traits are more uniquely yours than functional skills.  Interpret these traits so that they provide further proof to an employer of your ability to complete the duties and responsibilities of the job in a way that is beneficial to the company. 

Although personality tests are increasingly being used to help determine the person-job fit of a job candidate, you have an important opportunity in a job interview to clearly demonstrate how your personality traits will enhance your performance in the job.  Begin these discussions with the phrase "I am [personality trait] and capable of ____."  For example, I am tenacious and capable of persevering to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget. 

Exercise #3: Identify areas of improvement in your target market

In this exercise, you will shift your focus from internal characteristics to external realities.  Success requires professionals to continuously seek information relating to the trends, challenges and potentially rewarding opportunities in their industry, field and position.  Once identified, you can develop new connections between events and exploit opportunities that others may currently overlook. 

The most rudimentary strategy is to evaluate your industry and identify areas of improvement.  Once this macro analysis is complete, conduct the same analysis of trends, challenges and opportunities for your target company.  The Internet has streamlined this process through various news services, blogs and social media.  Critical analysis of this information is imperative.  Your hard work will not go unrewarded as you include these insights into your job search package and interviews -- just be sure to concentrate on discovering solutions rather than blaming or griping. 

Exercise #4: Identify Your U.S.P.

By thoughtfully completing the first three exercises, you are now ready to identify your U.S.P.  Organize the infomration that you have gathered and ask: 

• What is needed in my target industry, field or company? 
  
• What is my unique strength or gift that can be used in satisfying that need?
  

Remember:  your U.S.P. does not exist in a vacuum, but is a selling proposition that concentrates on how the features of your experience can benefit the buyer (in this case, the employer).  Once you have identified one or more U.S.P.s, emphasize this unique combination of knowledge, skills and abilities in all aspects of your job campaign -- from resume and cover letter through interviews.