When you are looking for a job and you belong to a group that is not in” the majority,” you may wonder how to sell the value you bring to the prospective employer. You also need to know, deep inside, why your presence is so very critical to the success of that employer and any other employer you might consider.

The very fact that you are not the majority is a key element to your value. Not because your ethnic group, sex, sexual preference or disability makes you better than “the majority” found in any business, but because of your unique experiences and perspectives. By your very presence, you also strengthen the company’s ability to shift and change and keep up with the needs of the future.

The analogy I would cite is found in nature. Bio-diversity is the key to long-term survival. It protects a species from complete extinction by having enough differences within the group to assure there will be survivors from any natural disaster. It is why the entire human race did not evaporate with the “great plague.” It is also why biologists are so focused on keeping a variety of gene pools when preventing an endangered species from disappearing.

The second example I see is in the business environment. The key to the long term survival of a company or an investment strategy is diversification. If a company only has one product and anything occurs that is detrimental to the consumption of that product (think spinach!) the company will fail. On the other hand, if a company has a variety of products and one is hindered or eliminated, there are others to make up the difference.

The need for diversity is also evident in investment strategies. You don’t want to “put all your eggs in one basket” by investing in only one stock (think of what happened to anyone who had 100% of their investment funds in Enron). A smart investment strategy requires diversification to be secure. That is why mutual funds and managed stock portfolios are so popular. You are spreading your risk among several investments so if there is an unforeseen negative happening, you can easily recover with your other investments.

So why am I talking about endangered species, e.coli in spinach and Enron to people looking for their next career? Because your uniqueness is as valuable to the company you want to work for as your skills and talents. Obviously, your target company wants to hire a talented, educated, enthusiastic person. But you have an additional edge in that you help ensure the long term success of the company interviewing you.

Having different experiences broadens the idea pool for your potential employer; your perspectives on problem solving, creativity and approach to your work gives you a freshness that can’t be found in any other person. Yes, someone else may bring different perspectives, but your very cultural diversity brings even more.

So how do you sell this to an employer? First you need to be “fluent” in the language of the big corporation. Realize that you must interpret your strengths in the corporation’s languages (How will you help the bottom line? How will your unique approaches to standard problems save or make money? How will you fit in and work well with others? How will you expand the company’s flexibility and adaptability to change?). You need to have figured out how you would be an asset to this company and be able to explain that with enthusiasm. Do your homework… and know deep inside the benefits you bring with you by just being you!

Know what you want, why you want it and that you bring amazing depth and benefit to the company you want to work for…best of luck on your search!