The Importance of Differentiating Your Skills & Capabilities

With unemployment rising and the effects of an unstable global economy taking its toll, it has become increasingly important for candidates to educate themselves on new ways to compete in the job market.

The application of strategic thinking when developing responses for interview questions is a key factor and is playing a bigger role in securing success.  It gives the candidate an edge and allows them to differentiate themselves from the hundreds of other applicants fighting for a position.  It does however, require a thorough understanding of: the job specific criteria; the industry in which they are choosing to operate; who their competitors are; and the benefits of the product they are promoting (themselves).  There is one other factor that is extremely important - they must develop a sound knowledge of the terminology / business language that is pertinent to the industry / role they are targeting. Only then can they effectively communicate the 'value add' of their product, creating the 'WOW' factor.

This approach does not just apply to the interview process.  It is just as important to the written application process.  Resumes and other relevant correspondence must incorporate strategic thinking and innovative ways to set candidates apart from other applicants.  You can imagine how many applications employers are receiving for advertised positions.  Candidates need to be committed to the process and tailor their documents each time they submit it to a company.  Each role and organisation has differences which must be considered and addressed.  Take the time to find out more and then work on how to highlight the alignment between your background and experience and the criteria which are specific to a role.  Also consider if there is something 'unique' about the organisation and acknowledge it in your correspondence.

After gaining an interview and once clients have developed an understanding of the interview process and the confidence to effectively structure and communicate responses, we then commence work on how to 'add value' to answers. I stress the importance of researching the role, the company and its culture. Part of this process involves extensive reading of relevant published articles or white papers so they start to get a feel of the type of language they need to adopt in their structured responses to demonstrate they are the 'best' choice for a potential employer.  More and more, employers are assessing how applicants think - conclusions with regard to a person's level of intelligence, maturity, professionalism, problem-solving capabilties, ability to influence and leadership qualities are drawn from their strategic responses.  Candidates who become proficient at identifying how they can differentiate themselves will be the strongest competitors and are more likely to succeed.

Yes, it is hard to secure suitable employment at the moment.  Now, more than ever, 'thinking outside-the-box' is a critical component of product positioning.  Educate yourself on the unique qualities of your product (you), develop strategies to add value and market your product and most importantly, commit to achieving success.    

© Copyright 2008, Christine Connors, Interview for Success

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