Find Your Unique Selling Point

Why do you drink Starbucks over Dunkin’ Donuts? Or wear True Religion jeans instead of Old Navy?  The brands you love offer you something special that keeps you coming back for more: it’s called their Unique Selling Point or USP.  And just like your favorite coffee or denim, you have a USP too. With such a competitive job market these days it’s crucial to know what sets you apart from the crowd and how to sell yourself to a potential employer. These tips will help you figure out what makes you stand out on the ‘shelf’

Uncover your uniqueness

Think about the special skills, personality traits, and personal/professional experiences only you can bring to the table. You may not know right away. Invest the time and do a little soul searching. Writing down the answers to the following questions can help:
What are your strengths?
What has been your proudest accomplishment so far?
What would your professors say is your best quality?
What would a former boss or colleagues you’ve worked with say you did well?
What three words would your friends or family say describes you best? 
If you’re still not sure, ask some of the people in your life what they think are your special attributes.

Sell yourself

Once you’ve determined your unique qualities, the key is translating them into the work world. What are your marketable experiences? How can employers benefit from your strengths? Write down your top five accomplishments—from school, clubs or activities, a part-time job or internship, etc.
Then rewrite them in a more powerful way that shows the impact you had on the people, organizations, club, etc that you’ve worked for. For example: “revised a contact database used by over fifty sales people in the technology department of XYZ company.”

Point them in the right direction

You want a potential employer to focus in on your USP. Now that you have an idea of what you can offer, create a two minute pitch that combines your strengths and your accomplishments. Memorize it so you are ready to talk about yourself to that recruiter at the job fair or your dad’s old college roommate—hey, you  never know who can get your foot in the door so be prepared to talk about yourself at any time. Keep practicing and soon you’ll be flying off the ‘shelf’ too!