2 qualities to differentiate yourself from other candidates
“What are the two things that give companies a competitive advantage?” my professor asked. I thought for a second. Well, there’re a lot of…
“What are the two things that give companies a competitive advantage?” my professor asked. I thought for a second. Well, there’re a lot of different things companies can do to gain a competitive advantage. They can differentiate their products, implement new technologies, expand to other markets, etc. My mind wandered.
“Companies that have a competitive advantage offer products that are valuable and unique.” I thought about this for a second. I looked back at my long list of qualities that give companies a competitive advantage; every point I came up with fell under one of these two categories. This made me think…
If companies that offer valuable and unique products have an edge over their competition, can this same concept apply to those applying to jobs? Yes.
You are applying for a job. Your goal is to differentiate yourself from your competition. There are a lot of different ways you can differentiate yourself from your competition.
There are so many different ways you can go about “differentiating yourself”. However, in the end, you need to be valuable and unique.
Valuable
How can you add value? Are you able to perform the expected tasks and assignments? Do you possess the tools and skills to solve common problems? Are you able to meet the company’s expectations? Being valuable is performing the expected tasks. If you can do what is expected, you are valuable. Adding value is the easy part. Let’s look at what it means to be unique.
Unique
You need to be different from your competitors. Ask yourself, how am I different? Likewise, ask yourself, what are the company’s expectations? How can I exceed those expectations? Being unique is engaging in activities that are outside of traditional expectations. So, how can you identify what makes you unique? Here’s how to do it.
Define the company’s expectations for candidates — Are you expected to have a GPA greater than 3.5? Are you expected to have had experience in the field? Are you expected to be an engineering major? It’s pretty easy to find these things. Check out the job description or ask someone at the company what is expected of certain candidates.
Define qualities, traits, and experiences that are different than the company’s expectations — Now that you know what is expected, it’ll be easier to identify what makes you unique. What experiences or talents do you possess that are outside of what is expected of you?
Focus on what makes you unique — If you check the boxes of what is expected of you, express what makes you unique. Ultimately, the traits that differentiate you are the ones that will get you the job. Traditionally, candidates are expected to meet candidate expectations, so, you need to focus on what makes you different.
Show the value you can add and show how you are unique. Two simple ways to differentiate yourself from your competition.
Additional Reading
If you liked this article you may also like:
interview Shared Value and Strategy — Harvard Business School