Your Inc Part 2- The Unique Value Proposition

The average publicly posted corporate job opening receives 250 applicants. Out of that number, 4 to 6 people get an interview and only 1 gets an offer- what makes you the one they should hire? If you’re like many millennials, you probably drew a blank. Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.

When we apply for a job, making sure we have all the qualities listed in the job description becomes priority number one. We’re so busy trying to fit in the box of that job description that we completely forget about standing out.

Now, if you’ve worked through Part 1’s exercise and have your CE(her)O and dream office pinned on your Pinterest vision board, then you’re ready to craft your Unique Value Proposition.

What is a Unique Value Proposition?

A unique value proposition is simply what makes a brand different than its competitors. In the case of your job search, it’s the qualities that make you different from those 249 other applicants.

You will have to dig deeper than your educational achievements to find your UVP. Assume every other applicant has all the qualities listed in the job description- what is that X factor that will make you do the job better than anyone else?

A Unique Value Proposition Pinterest Exercise

In cased you missed it, part 1’s exercise was a 2 part creative visualization exercise. The first step was to create a vision board on Pinterest and pin 3 pics of your CE(her)O (mine is Richard Branson) and add a description explaining why for each.

The second step was pinning a picture of your ideal office and writing a creative visualization exercise that invokes all 5 senses in the description.

Part 2’s exercise is to search your interests on Pinterest and pin things that shape your UVP to your vision board. In essence, a UVP is what makes you YOU, so nothing is off limits. Articulate in the description what each pin adds to your UVP.

My pins for this exercise include baseball, Harry Potter, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and my love for reading. Check out my vision board to read my descriptions of how they each have shaped my unique value proposition.

Have you made your vision board for this series yet? If so, I’d love to see it! Let’s go on this amazing journey of personal discovery together! Keep an eye out for Part 3 in this series: The Personal Brand Mission Statement.