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As a Job Seeker, You Need to Say ‘No’ to Bad Fits

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Job Searches Are Full of Uncontrollable Factors

The following advice may have been given to you by a family member or a well-meaning friend: Stop waiting for better opportunities. The one you have in front of you is the best opportunity.

Most job seekers play it safe and settle for jobs that are not a good fit. Rather than spending an extra month or two searching for a job, they accept the first job offer they receive to ease their current pain, which often leads to long-term pain.

After being unemployed for some time or anxious to leave your current job, taking the first job offer you receive is understandable. After all, who knows when the next job offer will come along?

However, accepting a job offer just because it is an offer may not be your best move. Regardless of your current employment situation, there are times when you should consider turning down a job offer.

 

  1. The compensation is not right.

 

Obviously, you want to make ends meet. Ideally, your income should cover more than your bills. If the salary offered is insufficient to cover your basic expenses and you have not been able to negotiate a higher salary, you should walk away.

Do not become one of those employees who constantly complain about their salary, the salary they agreed to when they voluntarily accepted the position.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as if the salary is enough to cover your expenses—know what this number is—and you are committed to continue looking for a better-paying job. Ensure the salary you are being offered aligns with your lifestyle and financial situation. Ask yourself if your salary expectations are realistic, given your current skills, experience, and local job market.

 

  1. The job does not offer what you want.

 

Job seekers have different “must-haves.” It could be working remotely a few times a week (hybrid), having flexible hours, three weeks of paid vacation, or medical and dental benefits. Whatever it is, if your “must-haves” are not in the job offer, consider turning it down.

Is there such a thing as a “perfect job offer”? Of course not. Compare your “must-haves” with what you would be trading off. (e.g., receiving a higher salary but working full-time on-site)

 

  1. The job duties and expectations are vague.

 

A job title will tell you some things, but not everything, about the job. If you have gone through the entire interview process and still do not know what the job entails, especially what is expected, either find out more information or decline the job.

Never accept a “mystery” job. For starters, there is the possibility, a good possibility, that what you thought you would do and what you actually do differ so much that you end up unhappy. Worse, because you did not understand what the job entailed, you may be asked to do things you are not comfortable with or are not qualified to do.

 

  1. The company is a revolving door.

 

All companies experience turnover, regardless of their leadership team. According to Mercer, one of the largest sources of employer-reported data, Canada’s average voluntary turnover rate in 2022 was 15.5%.

While you can ask your interviewer about the company’s turnover rate, you probably will not get specifics. Instead, ask why the position is open. Was the person promoted within the company? Did they leave for greener pastures? Is this a newly created role?

 

My best advice: Find former employees on LinkedIn or via your network and talk to them.

 

  1. The company has a bad reputation.

 

No company is perfect. There will always be at least one former employee who says the company “sucks, hates its employees, and destroys your soul.”

However, pay attention if multiple former employees say the company is a bad employer. It could be that there are problems in one department with one manager. On the other hand, the complaints could indicate a company-wide problem, tricking down from the C-suites.

Do more than just search the Internet and social media. As I had mentioned, find former employees on LinkedIn or via your network and talk to them. As well, read up on the company in trade publications and if you can get your hands on their latest annual report.

 

  1. Your gut is telling you to think twice.

 

Job seekers rarely listen to their gut, which is something they should do.

During your interview, did you get a bad feeling? Did everyone at the company seem happy and content, or did you get negative vibes? Did it feel like your interviewer(s) were leaving out key details or hiding something during the hiring process? A few years back, I turned down a job that ticked all my boxes because when I asked if I could meet the team I would be managing, I was told my request would be against their hiring process. To me, this was a red flag.

Always trust your gut. If you have a bad feeling or something seems “off,” you are probably right and should turn down the job offer. Your gut is telling you that this is not the place for you.

_________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Business

Telus prioritizing ‘most important customers,’ avoiding ‘unprofitable’ offers: CFO

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Telus Corp. says it is avoiding offering “unprofitable” discounts as fierce competition in the Canadian telecommunications sector shows no sign of slowing down.

The company said Friday it had fewer net new customers during its third quarter compared with the same time last year, as it copes with increasingly “aggressive marketing and promotional pricing” that is prompting more customers to switch providers.

Telus said it added 347,000 net new customers, down around 14.5 per cent compared with last year. The figure includes 130,000 mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 internet customers, down 30,000 and 3,000, respectively, year-over-year.

The company reported its mobile phone churn rate — a metric measuring subscribers who cancelled their services — was 1.09 per cent in the third quarter, up from 1.03 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. That included a postpaid mobile phone churn rate of 0.90 per cent in its latest quarter.

Telus said its focus is on customer retention through its “industry-leading service and network quality, along with successful promotions and bundled offerings.”

“The customers we have are the most important customers we can get,” said chief financial officer Doug French in an interview.

“We’ve, again, just continued to focus on what matters most to our customers, from a product and customer service perspective, while not loading unprofitable customers.”

Meanwhile, Telus reported its net income attributable to common shares more than doubled during its third quarter.

The telecommunications company said it earned $280 million, up 105.9 per cent from the same three-month period in 2023. Earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 19 cents compared with nine cents a year earlier.

It reported adjusted net income was $413 million, up 10.7 per cent year-over-year from $373 million in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue and other income for the quarter was $5.1 billion, up 1.8 per cent from the previous year.

Mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.85 in the third quarter, a decrease of $2.09 or 3.4 per cent from a year ago. Telus said the drop was attributable to customers signing up for base rate plans with lower prices, along with a decline in overage and roaming revenues.

It said customers are increasingly adopting unlimited data and Canada-U.S. plans which provide higher and more stable ARPU on a monthly basis.

“In a tough operating environment and relative to peers, we view Q3 results that were in line to slightly better than forecast as the best of the bunch,” said RBC analyst Drew McReynolds in a note.

Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi added that “the telecom industry in Canada remains very challenging for all players, however, Telus has been able to face these pressures” and still deliver growth.

The Big 3 telecom providers — which also include Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. — have frequently stressed that the market has grown more competitive in recent years, especially after the closing of Quebecor Inc.’s purchase of Freedom Mobile in April 2023.

Hailed as a fourth national carrier, Quebecor has invested in enhancements to Freedom’s network while offering more affordable plans as part of a set of commitments it was mandated by Ottawa to agree to.

The cost of telephone services in September was down eight per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent inflation report last month.

“I think competition has been and continues to be, I’d say, quite intense in Canada, and we’ve obviously had to just manage our business the way we see fit,” said French.

Asked how long that environment could last, he said that’s out of Telus’ hands.

“What I can control, though, is how we go to market and how we lead with our products,” he said.

“I think the conditions within the market will have to adjust accordingly over time. We’ve continued to focus on digitization, continued to bring our cost structure down to compete, irrespective of the price and the current market conditions.”

Still, Canada’s telecom regulator continues to warn providers about customers facing more charges on their cellphone and internet bills.

On Tuesday, CRTC vice-president of consumer, analytics and strategy Scott Hutton called on providers to ensure they clearly inform their customers of charges such as early cancellation fees.

That followed statements from the regulator in recent weeks cautioning against rising international roaming fees and “surprise” price increases being found on their bills.

Hutton said the CRTC plans to launch public consultations in the coming weeks that will focus “on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers.”

“The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes,” he said.

“We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.”

French said any initiative to boost transparency is a step in the right direction.

“I can’t say we are perfect across the board, but what I can say is we are absolutely taking it under consideration and trying to be the best at communicating with our customers,” he said.

“I think everyone looking in the mirror would say there’s room for improvement.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:T)

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TC Energy cuts cost estimate for Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico

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CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.

It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.

The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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BCE reports Q3 loss on asset impairment charge, cuts revenue guidance

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BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.

The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.

BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.

The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.

BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.

It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.

The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”

Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

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