Business
Job Search Success Is More Likely With a Consultative Mindset
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Someone recently asked me, “What do you think most job seekers lack?
My immediate answer: “Curiosity.”
Lack of curiosity and a sense of entitlement are why most job seekers struggle with their job search. The majority of job seekers apply to companies without knowing anything about the company’s:
- History and milestones
- Senior leadership team
- Financial health
- Market share occupancy and direct competitors
- Mission statement
- Challenges they’re facing
Most job seekers look for nothing more than a steady paycheck, benefits, and some paid time off. Employers don’t find this mindset appealing. On the other hand, employers find a consultative mindset very appealing.
Developing a consultative mindset begins with curiosity about an employer’s goals and needs. Instead of approaching an employer’s hiring process as a transaction, approach it as a collaborative opportunity to demonstrate your value and position yourself as a potential strategic partner who can assist the employer in overcoming their pain points and achieving their goals.
Shifting your focus from wanting a paycheque to becoming an employer’s trusted problem-solver will differentiate you from your competition. Also, you’ll change your perception of the employer/job seeker power dynamic from needing a job (being on the defensive) to having the knowledge, skills and, therefore, solution the company needs (being on the offensive).
Most job seekers follow this pattern:
- Apply, apply, apply, apply… hoping to get an interview.
- Finally, get an interview thinking, “Now, I can show who I am!”
Job seekers with a consultative mindset provide value upfront. They don’t wait to be scheduled for an interview process. How? By sending the employer a brief report outlining their analysis of the employer’s current marketing strategy and suggesting potential improvements. By offering to create a sample social media content calendar that aligns with their brand and target audience. I once had a candidate who had applied but wasn’t scheduled for an interview send me a call flow script they thought my agents should be using that would increase customer satisfaction. They were the first person I scheduled for an interview.
Proactively providing helpful insights or work samples shows the employer that you’re genuinely invested in their success. Think: Your business is helping the employer’s business.
Additionally, a consultative mindset encourages you to view each interaction as an opportunity to learn, not just to sell yourself. Ask clarifying questions, take notes, and use the information you gather to refine your value proposition.
A consultative mindset:
Research the company and role in depth.
Do more than skim the job description and apply. Instead, do a deep dive into researching the company, its industry, its leadership team, its competitors, and the challenges they’re facing. Then, use the intel you gather to tailor your application and interview responses to convincingly demonstrate how your skills and experience can directly address the employer’s needs.
For instance, let’s say you’re applying for a business analyst role at a fintech startup. Research the company’s product offerings, funding history, competitive landscape, and recent press about industry trends or regulatory changes. With these insights, write a cover letter highlighting your experience solving similar problems for other financial technology firms.
Asks thoughtful, open-ended questions.
Job seekers tend to obsessively focus on trying to provide the “right” answers during the interview. A consultative mindset flips this script by asking insightful questions which convey genuine interest in the position and the company.
- “What are the top priorities for this team over the next 6-12 months?”
- “How does this position fit into the overall business strategy?”
- “What are the biggest challenges the company faces in [area the position oversees], and how do you envision this role helping to address them?”
Asking these types of probing questions displays your strategic thinking and positions you as a collaborative partner, not just another candidate to be assessed.
Offers ideas and solutions.
Job seekers with a consultative mindset proactively offer ideas and solutions, thus showing they’ve taken the time to understand the employer’s needs and can provide thoughtful suggestions.
Maybe you identified an untapped market segment the company could target or noticed an area of their website that needed improvement. In your cover letter, you might write, “From my analysis of your target customer demographics, I believe you have an opportunity to reach millennials. I have several suggestions for improving your marketing messaging and social media strategy to reach millennials, which I hope to present to you in an interview.”
Follows up and stays engaged.
A consultative mindset continues to engage with the employer after the interview. Send a thoughtful thank-you note reiterating your interest, fit and, most importantly, value-add. Even if you don’t get the job, keep in touch! Regularly send industry articles, observations/suggestions that may benefit the company, and comment on LinkedIn posts. The person hired might not work out. Staying in touch will keep you top of your mind as a backfill, or for other opportunities.
A consultative mindset is grounded in Zig Ziglar’s words for success, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want.” Your job search success will significantly improve once you show employers you’re genuinely interested in helping them.
_____________________________________________________________________
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
Amazon rejects plea to stop selling taxi roof signs as cab scam spreads across Canada
After a long day at a work event in July, Kathryn Kozody was relieved when she spotted a car with a lit-up taxi sign.
She thought it was odd when the driver told her she’d have to pay her fare with a debit card. Still, a tired Kozody hopped in the car.
“I was like, ‘Fine, it’s kind of weird, but let’s go home,'” said Kozody, who lives in Calgary.
Nothing else seemed off — until the next day when she discovered that almost $2,000 was missing from her bank account. On top of that, her debit card had someone else’s name on it.
Kozody concluded that the taxi driver was a fraudster who, during the debit card transaction, recorded her PIN, stole her card and handed her back a fake.
“I started freaking out,” she said. “It’s terrifying when they have your debit card.”
It took Kozody about two weeks to get her money back from her bank, and she’s still rattled by the experience.
![Kathryn Kozody standing on the street](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7315454.1725634819!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/kathryn-kozody.jpg)
“It really felt like an invasion of privacy and a violation to be a victim of this scam,” she said. “I really don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
The taxi scam isn’t new; Toronto and Montreal have been seeing it for years. But the crime is becoming more widespread.
This summer, police in Calgary, Edmonton and at least five cities in southern Ontario, including Kingston and Ottawa, posted warnings online that they had received multiple reports of the scam.
Police and the Canadian Taxi Association say the fraudsters have a helping hand: with the click of a button, they can purchase a generic — but official looking — taxi roof sign on e-commerce sites like Amazon.
![A Facebook post by the Edmonton Police.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7315584.1725639733!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/edmonton-police-facebook-alert.jpg)
The taxi association has asked Amazon, by far Canada’s most popular online shopping site, to stop making the roof signs so easily available.
“They do have a moral responsibility to at least sell the signs to individuals that are properly licensed,” said association president Marc André Way.
However, the U.S.-based company continues to sell the product to all customers.
“These lights are legal to sell in Canada,” Amazon told CBC News in an email.
‘Eye-popping’ numbers
The taxi scam has several variations but typically ends the same way: the victim pays with a debit card, then the scammer secretly steals it and hands the victim a similar but fake card. Shortly thereafter, money disappears from the victim’s account.
Ron Hansen, deputy chief of police in Sarnia, Ont., said his department received 12 reports of the scam in July, with one victim losing $9,900.
Toronto police report that since June 2023 the department has received 919 reports of the taxi scam, totalling $1.7 million in losses.
![Jessica Chin King standing on the street.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7315437.1725634026!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/jessica-chin-king.jpg)
The numbers are “eye-popping,” said Toronto police detective David Coffey.
“When they do get a victim, they are quick to go right into the bank accounts. They’re quick to empty them out.”
Jessica Chin King of Toronto said just 15 minutes after a recent cab ride, she got a suspicious activity alert from her bank. Turns out, $600 had been withdrawn from her account.
“I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that just happened.’ I was in shock,” said Chin King, whose bank later reimbursed the cash.
She said she too was fooled by the taxi sign atop the car.
“I was in the car with somebody who wasn’t a taxi driver. Anything could have happened,” she said. “I was thankful that it was only my bank [account] that was compromised.”
Taxi light for $35 on Amazon
CBC News bought a taxi sign from Amazon for $35. It has a magnetic strip on the bottom, so it easily sticks to the top of a car.
To power the light, an attached wire can be run through the driver’s window and plugged into the car’s auxiliary power outlet, also known as the cigarette lighter outlet.
The taxi association says licensed taxi drivers typically get their roof signs from speciality suppliers, and they are hardwired to the car — not powered via the cigarette lighter.
“When you see that … it’s obvious that it’s not a legitimate taxi,” said Way, the association president.
Last month, Way sent Amazon a letter on behalf of the Canadian Taxi Association, asking it to stop selling the product.
“This is not a safe, practical way to distribute the trusted ‘Taxi’ signs,” he wrote.
![A yellow taxi sign with an attached wire.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7315423.1725633697!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_780/taxi-sign-amazon.jpg)
But Amazon told Way — and CBC News — the signs will remain on its site, because the company isn’t breaking any rules.
“It’s going to be quite difficult, I think, for anyone to stop Amazon from selling a product that is perfectly legal to sell,” said Toronto criminal lawyer, Daniel Goldbloom. “It’s true that these taxi signs can be used to commit scams, but kitchen knives can be used to commit murder — and we don’t stop retailers from selling those.”
But Way isn’t giving up hope.
He says the taxi association also plans to ask other online retailers, such as Temu and eBay, to stop selling the taxi signs and will lobby provincial governments for legislation that regulates the sale of the product.
However, Coffey said he believes the best way to fight the taxi scam is to educate people about it.
“Never, never give another person control of your debit card,” the detective said.
Victims Chin King and Kozody also want to spread the word.
“The more people know, the less likely it is to happen again to somebody else,” Kozody said.
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Business
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Business
You Can Minimize the Odds of Being Ghosted
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When job seekers complain about being ghosted—a form of silent rejection where candidates hear nothing after submitting an application or having been interviewed—I wonder if they’re unaware of the changes in social norms and mannerisms. Do they not know that social norms and the workplace are intertwined? Since the advent of social media, manners, courtesy, and empathy have significantly diminished.
If there’s one thing job seekers can be certain about, they’ll be ghosted multiple times throughout their job search. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say ghosting candidates has become a norm. It’s worth pointing out that companies don’t ghost candidates; the company’s employees ghost candidates. When the recruiter or hiring manager is of a generation that finds ghosting an acceptable way to terminate a relationship, romantic or otherwise, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when they ghost candidates.
Bad News: You can’t change or control other people’s behaviour.
Good News: You can take proactive steps to minimize—as with all human interactions, there are no guarantees—the chances of being ghosted.
Build a strong relationship. Focus on being likeable.
Understandably, hiring managers—recruiters less so since they won’t be working with the candidate—look to hire candidates they can envision getting along with; hence, most job seekers would significantly boost their chance of job search success by focusing more on being likable.
By likable, I mean being pleasant, respectful, and expressing genuine interest in the company and the role. I’ve yet to meet a hiring manager who hires candidates they don’t like. As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, likeability supersedes your skills and experience. Most job seekers don’t focus enough on being likeable.
The stronger the relationship (read: bond) you establish with the recruiter or hiring manager, the more likely they won’t ghost you. From your first interaction, focus on creating a rapport beyond just transactional communication.
Personalizing your correspondence can make a significant difference. Use the hiring manager’s name instead of a generic ‘To Whom It May Concern.’ Find commonalities such as place of birth, hobbies, schools attended, associations you belong to, favourite restaurants, and people you know.
Avoid appearing confrontational.
Anyone reading this can relate to the number one reason why people ghost: to avoid confrontation. Today, many people feel entitled, resulting in job seekers being frustrated and angry. You only need to scroll through LinkedIn posts and comments to see that bashing employers has become an unproductive trend. Hence, it’s likely that a candidate will become confrontational if told they don’t get the job.
Smile throughout your interview! Avoid appearing desperate! My best interviews have been those in which I was nonchalant; I was indifferent to whether or not I got the job. In addition to being a turn-off, showing signs of desperation will raise questions about how you’ll react if told you don’t get hired.
Lastly, tell your interviewer how much you enjoyed talking with them and that you look forward to hearing back.
- “I really enjoyed our conversation, Khloe. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I look forward to hearing your hiring decision.”
- “Either way, please call or email me to let me know about my application status.”
You’re more likely to receive a response by asking explicitly for communication.
Earn your interviewer’s respect.
People tend not to ghost someone they respect.
Respect must be earned, starting with one of life’s golden rules: Treat others how you want to be treated. In other words, give respect to get respect.
Throughout your job search, be professional and courteous. Respond promptly to emails and calls and thank people for their time. Approaching recruiters and hiring managers politely and professionally improves your chances of being treated similarly.
Ask for advice, not feedback.
Asking for advice encourages communication. As your interviewer is wrapping up the interview, mention that you’d welcome their advice. “Given your extensive background in project management, any advice you may have for me wanting to advance my career would be greatly appreciated.”
Why ask for advice and not feedback? The first problem with asking for feedback is it puts the other person on the spot. The second problem is feedback can lead to disagreement, hurt feelings, or defensiveness, a common reaction resulting in confrontation. On the other hand, asking for advice is asking for guidance and suggestions to achieve a better result. Essentially, you’re acknowledging the other person’s experience and massaging their ego. Do you know anyone who doesn’t like being asked for advice?
Send a thank you note.
Sending a thank you note expressing appreciation for the interview and the insights you gained reinforces your interest and keeps the lines of communication open. Conclude with a forward-looking statement, encouraging the recipient to respond.
- “I look forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps.”
- “I look forward to staying in touch.”
Job searching aside, direct, open, and honest communication—say what you mean, mean what you say—which I highly value, has become rare, which explains the prevalence of ghosting. When you’re ghosted, assume the company isn’t enthusiastic about hiring you. Silence may be golden in some things, but ghosting is not one of them.
_____________________________________________________________________
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.
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