I came across an apparently random 14-digit number which turned out to be quite interesting: 65359477124183.

If you multiply it by 17, you get 1111111111111111.

If you are one of those people whose minds close down when face with numbers, please stay with me because it gets even more fascinating.

Let’s multiply the original figure by 34 (that’s 17×2), then 51 (17×3) and so on. This is what you get:

65359477124183 x 17 = 1111111111111111

65359477124183 x 34 = 2222222222222222

65359477124183 x 51 = 3333333333333333

65359477124183 x 68 = 4444444444444444

65359477124183 x 85 = 5555555555555555

65359477124183 x 102= 6666666666666666

65359477124183 x 119= 7777777777777777

65359477124183 x 136= 8888888888888888

65359477124183 x 153= 9999999999999999

The point about this exercise is that there could be significant patterns hidden in apparently unlikely places. All it takes is to find the key.

So what’s the point I’m making? Simply that it is essential to identify what makes you different from the rest. When an employer is recruiting, or when a company is researching the market for a suitable supplier of services, all candidates may seem as anonymous as the random number above.

The clever ones provide the key to their specialness. Then they become memorable.