"What is your PVP" - Personal Value Proposition. If you don't know this you had better do something to find out because this is the one thing you need to stand out from the multitude of others applying for the same job as you.

In my case as a Recruitment Consultant I know immediately what my PVP is. For example, when I talk to a client or prospect in the Events or Marketing industries, my PVP is my expertise coming from an events background.

When I talk to a client or prospect who is Sales Director or Manager, my PVP is that as well as recruiting their sales team I can also add value by providing the right sales training, as my background is the owner of a professional speakers and corporate training agency.

There are thousands of recruitment consultants all approaching the same clients, unless I stand out from the others, why would any client choose me over another?

Steps to creating your own PVP

Step One - What is the employer really 'buying' from you and why would they choose you over someone else? This can be difficult to answer so let's break it down:

Why do you think you were the most successful candidate for your last job?

Have you ever been awarded for something that you have achieved?

Whatachievements did you have with your previous roles

Step Two - Create your 30 second introduction, for example mine is: Debbie Carr is a talented recruitment consultant with a professional speaking background, (my skill base) specialising in recruiting for Sales, Marketing and Events positions (My Industry Experience). Debbie helps her clients find and retain the right people (this is what I offer) by delivering exceptional candidates (My belief in myself that I am able to resolve my clients pain) resulting in repeat business for herself. (Proof of my ability)

So it reads: Debbie Carr is a talented recruitment consultant with a professional speaking background, specialising in recruiting for Sales, Marketing and Events positions. Debbie helps her clients find and retain the right people by delivering exceptional candidates, resulting in repeat business for herself. In other words, I offer the value add to my clients because I come from a sales training background and can offer courses and advice on how to train their sales team or with my Events background I can use my networks.

Going back to Step One, let's make up an example that you are a Business Development Manager and you won your last few positions over the other candidates because you:

• We able to demonstrate you always overachieved your targets
• You won "Best New Business" Award at the annual conference of your current employer
• You won two major accounts off your competitors when you worked at your previous position

Now we put it together: John Smith is a results driven business development manager (John's skill base) working in the logistics and freight forwarding industries (John's industry experience). John has won major accounts from his competitors (this is what John offers) resulting in company growth of 12% (this is how John helped his previous employer) ensuing winning "Best New Business Award 2008" (proof of John's ability)

Other ways to stand out from other candidates

1. Ensure your CV is professional, easy to read with dates of previous employers. Always mention your achievements in the CV. It is ok to add a photo but if you do that please ensure it is professional. I once received a CV from a candidate who had a snap shot of himself driving his sports car….hmmmm that didn't impress me too much.
2. Follow up your CV with a phone call. Recruiters are extremely busy and time-poor, however when a candidate makes a follow up call to me I always, without exception, will ring the candidate back or make sure I thoroughly look at the CV.
3. When you are talking to the recruiter, remember you are being 'screened' so ensure you communicate clearly. If it is not a convenient time to talk ask the recruiter to call you back. We respect that you cannot always talk when we call.
4. If you get to the interview stage, dress as if you are going to see the client. I often have people come for interviews dressed down and they tell me that this is because it was 'just the recruitment agency'….Need I say more?
5. At the interview you will need to impress your recruiter on why you are the person for this position. Remember it's all about what you can offer your new company, what you achieved for your previous employer, stability - employers spend a lot of money on recruitment and training so loyalty is important and being flexible.
6. If you get to the interview stage with the client, make sure you have done our research. If you were to walk into the interview and the interviewer just said to you "so ask me questions" - would you be prepared? If you had not done your research on the company it would be very difficult to be able to start asking the right questions.

Debbie Carr is a director of the True Colours Group and Coyote Management International. You can find her at www.truecoloursrecruitment.com, www.truecolourstraining.com, www.truecolourskeynotes.com and www.coyote.com.au/debbie_carr.html and you can read her story at www.seemingly-sane.com