Why Should I Hire You?

What makes you different?

What makes you special?

Not different and special the way that got you picked on in school, but the different that makes you extraordinary. Why are you better than the next person? In the professional world, why should you be considered for a job instead of the next applicant? Why should I hire you?

Pink Sherbet Photography / Foter / CC BY

Being different in business is a good thing. Being unique in your ideas and in your approach to challenges will only add to the value that you bring to the table.

An Executive Director with an IT company once told me she only hires people who are different. She said, “Look at my management team.  No one is exactly the same and they're each good at something different.” After a pause she added and emphasized, “If you want to be a leader, bring something new to the table and show me something only you can do.” This Executive manages a multi-billion dollar business and is responsible for over two-hundred people. She knows what good looks like and has honed her skills in recognizing it.

Let's look at the fast food hamburger business as another example.

As the consumer, you have many different options for where you get your burger; why do you choose one brand over the next? What keeps you coming back to that one burger?

While it may be a matter of convenience, it's more likely because of that special sauce that's on your favorite burger. That special flavor that this burger has and that burger, just… doesn't.

While differences in flavor for a burger may be more tangible, in your personal brand the differences may be less obvious.

So what is it that makes you different from the next person? Is it your unique ability to rally others to your cause? Are you able to plan things in a detailed way that has led to some excellent success? Have you increased sales numbers or overcome a significant challenge?

Potential employers will hire you not because you're just like everyone else they have, but because they see something in you that adds value to their team, or fills a gap in what they're currently able to offer their customers.

Question: What makes you different? What is your special sauce?