What Makes You Different?
- Frank Manfre
- Feb 21
- 2 min read
Almost all job openings attract a slew of applicants. What sets you apart? What will make you stand out as a person to be added to the “Let’s interview him or her” group of candidates? A strong Unique Value Proposition or UVP makes you different and memorable.
A UVP is a statement that clearly defines what makes you valuable to your target audience. It explains why an employer should choose you over other applicants by highlighting your unique qualities. A strong UVP is concise, clear, and focused on solving the specific needs or problems of the organization and hiring manager. It conveys what value you will deliver as an employee and member of their team.
What are the key factors hiring managers look for in the field you are searching in? How do you match up?
Your Value-Adds
What you can bring to a job and organization can be broken down into quantitative and qualitative attributes:
Quantitative
Education
Intelligence - IQ
Training - Continuing education and professional training
Certifications
Experience - Important to many hiring managers (I think it’s overrated)
Qualitative
Work ethic - Everyone says it, show them
Critical thinking & problem solving
Influential
Honesty & integrity - “Doing the right thing when no one is looking”
Reliability, aka dependability. Showing up on time, meeting deadlines, etc.
Perseverance - Tenacity in seeing a job through in the face of challenges
Goal oriented - Driven & focused on results
Collaborative, team-oriented
Cool under pressure
Effective multi-tasker
“Likability” - This one is highly subjective, but we have all met people that just seemed easy to like. Often, they are extroverted and affable and just put us at ease. Or they exude a quiet confidence while remaining humble.
Soft skills or Emotional Intelligence or EQ. Often considered to assess “fit” and “chemistry” when adding people to a team, especially when close interaction and collaboration among team members are required for team success.
If you are ready to search for a job or are planning a career change, take the time to develop a compelling story about your qualifications, your UVP, pursue your ideal job and don’t sell yourself short.
Frank Manfre
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