When you’re in job search mode, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison. You look at others’ resumes, roles, and career paths and wonder where you stack up. But what if your real competitive advantage doesn’t come from fitting in; it comes from standing out? By leveraging behavioral insights for job search, you can uncover the unique traits that set you apart and position yourself more strategically in the market.
That’s the heart of The Unexpected You, a Birkman-based perspective presented by Torri Olanski from Birkman in 2018 on what makes your behavior not only unique but strategically valuable, especially during a job search. I’ve been thinking about her presentation a lot recently as I work with clients who need career coaching and direction.
Leveraging Behavioral Insights to Discover Your Unique Strengths and Boost Your Job Search
- Why Behavioral Norms Don’t Define You: Understand how societal expectations around “normal” behavior can limit your ability to recognize your true strengths during a job search.
- Discovering Your Unexpected Superpowers: Learn how unique behavioral patterns, like those revealed through Birkman data, can become your most significant professional advantage.
- From Self-Awareness to Career Strategy: Use Birkman insights to craft a focused value proposition, identify aligned career paths, and prepare for interviews with clarity.
- Embracing and Communicating Your Differences: Shift your mindset from fitting in to standing out by communicating who you are, not just what you’ve done, in ways that matter to employers.
- Understand How Your Behaviors Compare to Social Norms: This sample chart highlights where your natural tendencies align with or deviate from societal expectations, helping you spot unique strengths that can become career advantages.
- What to Do Next: Take Action with Insight. Leverage your Birkman profile and tools, such as the Networking Profile & Navigator, to turn behavioral self-awareness into career momentum.
Why Behavioral Norms Matter and When They Don’t
Birkman research shows that society often favors certain behavioral norms like high energy, physical activity, assertiveness, or social engagement. However, these norms represent just averages and don’t capture the full range of human potential. Without self-awareness in job search, many candidates may try too hard to fit in, overlooking their unique strengths that could truly differentiate them during their search.
As Torri Olanski from Birkman pointed out, people often view personality differences in the same way they view hair color. People see some traits as more acceptable than others. But differentiation happens when we understand how and why we deviate from the norm.
What Makes You “Unexpected” Can Be Your Superpower
The presentation I saw from Torri introduced characters like Normal Norm, Exceeding Sam, and Unexpected Ed. Each has a distinct Birkman pattern. While Norm fits the mold of common workplace behavior, Ed scores unusually high in emotional energy and thought and low in social and physical energy. In specific settings, people may misinterpret these differences. But in the proper role or culture, they are precisely what sets him apart.
This reframing is critical for job seekers. Learning how to use behavioral data in job search through tools like the Birkman Strengths or Signature Reports helps you gain a clearer understanding of:
- How can you naturally show up at your best?
- Where are your behaviors different from the crowd?
- What environments may amplify your strengths?
- What roles or organizations may undervalue them?
Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?” you begin to ask, “Where is what’s right about me in high demand?”
From Self-Awareness to Career Strategy
Birkman’s behavioral comparisons help you during a job search by enabling you to:
- Craft an authentic and differentiated value proposition
- Recognize hidden career paths that align with your personality
- Ask more informed interview questions about team dynamics and culture
- Build self-confidence based on data, not just experience
When you embrace your Unexpected You, you turn perceived limitations into assets. For instance, someone low in assertiveness might be a great listener and trusted collaborator. Someone with high thought may excel at ideation, research, or strategy.
The Job Seeker’s Paradox: Connecting and Standing Out with Birkman Insights
Torri’s message is clear. We need to connect through what unites us and contribute through what sets us apart. That’s the job seeker’s paradox. You want to resonate with hiring managers and also distinguish yourself from other candidates.
Using Birkman data helps you do both. It provides you with the language to explain not just what you’ve done, but also who you are and why that matters to a team, project, or mission.
How Can We Visualize the Data?
Here’s a sample data visualization for uncovering the Unexpected You. Olanski designed this chart to visualize how an individual’s Birkman behavioral components compare to normative behavioral expectations across society. Each row represents one of the core Birkman traits—such as Social Energy, Assertiveness, or Thought, plotted against a benchmark of what people typically perceive as “normal” or common.
The chart enables users to quickly identify where their natural behaviors fall relative to societal averages, offering insight into which traits are more conventional and which ones stand out. This framework helps individuals move from self-judgment to self-awareness by recognizing that deviation from the norm isn’t a disadvantage; it’s often a unique strength. It serves as a lens to identify potential competitive advantages in behavior, insights that can be especially valuable in career coaching when working with clients who are navigating career choices, personal branding, and team dynamics.
What Should You Do Next?
If you’re in the middle of a job search, don’t just compare yourself to others. Ask yourself how you are wired differently. Use career strategy with personality insights to elevate your value in a way that feels authentic and true to you. That’s how you move from being overlooked to being remembered.
Ready to find your edge? Start by exploring The Unexpected You within your Birkman report and bring your authentic strengths into the spotlight. Contact Career Upside for assistance with career coaching and the Birkman Method to gain insight into your behavior in relation to societal norms. Schedule your consultation today.
