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Think Like a Consultant: Win at Job Search 2023

Think Like a Consultant: Win at Job Search 2023 by Mark Anthony Dyson

What is a “consultant mindset”? And what does it have to do with finding a new job?

Some of my colleagues will boo me for this, but past clients in presenting a resume first is not always the answer.

Instead, find work during your job search by leveraging the mindset of a consultant.

In other words: present solutions first, then your resume. A resume will be an afterthought if you have a straightforward, well-thought-out approach and current short- and long-term solutions to employers. (Look at your keyboard, and now look at me in disbelief, and repeat. I know this is hard to imagine.)

You’re the superhero in consultant garb. You have felt a passion for this industry for a long time. You’ve read hundreds of articles and at least a dozen books. You’ve attended workshops, regional events, and national conventions. You’ve stalked the industry leaders. You have piloted several projects and people you know… people who know even more than you do.

And now, with all this know-how, you have some ideas. You’ve seen what some companies have done well. You’ve seen what has failed. And with a consultant mindset, you know the right solution.

That’s right: be a consultant, not a job seeker.

Many others have said it. Stephen Covey said it. My points below were inspired by him. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be the perfect solution to THE one and be audacious doing it.

Here’s how:

Be Prepared to Do Something Different

Use popular social media networks to read the thoughts of your targeted company influencers. You will indeed find the aches and pains of the company there. One way is to call the target or prospective company’s call center and pretend to be a customer. When you can speak to customer issues and concerns in any setting, you will score (customer service reps are known to cough up the goods!)

Write a Contribution Statement

Your contribution statement, which looks and acts more like a plan resulting from research, is much more profound than a cover letter. It is a current state report to help you sound more impressive than any job seeker can. Done right, you’ll sound downright intentional. Many coaches and thought career leaders will say: “Look for the unposted job opportunity.”

And, yes, it’s much harder work than going to a job board, as everyone else does. I didn’t say it was easy: It’s the consultant’s solution-oriented life. It’s a suggestion from Stephen Covey I’ve liked for years now.

Be Humble and Modest

Any inquiry to a company must be humble and modest, so double-check for tone. Confidence is needed, but humility will open the ears of your target audience. That is not to say be mousy, of course. Strike the right balance, and your subject matter expertise will rise to the top. It is best to practice your delivery with an experienced person to ensure you come across as a humble officer reporting what is happening on the battlefield.

Use the Actions of Competitors as Leverage

Find out what’s happening in your prospect’s industry and competitive forces. When possible, compare and contrast what the competitor is doing at your target company. Even if it’s a call center position, you can show what you’ve noticed through a grid or spreadsheet and the solutions you offer.

Be Courageous and Creative

There are times when you must be audacious in your approach. When faced with rejection (“no” too many job seekers get daily), it might be time for tactful directness. No, this is not taught in schools; it’s more intuitive. Sometimes it’s asking a supplementary question makes the other person think. Other times, it is assertively offering an opinion. You’ll know when the time comes.

Put yourself in a position to discover and experience problems. Focus on building relationships with the perspective and become familiar with the company’s culture and challenges. Present a solution to relieve the pain. Present your solution in a way the prospective employer can quickly identify with it during your job search.

That is how you leverage the consultant mindset. And today— not your resume — will help you win your job search.

This article was first published on YouTern.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Ways Your Job Search Can Catch the Spirit of March Madness

5 Ways Your Job Search Can Catch the Spirit of March Madness by Mark Anthony Dyson

Not everyone enjoys college basketball, but the NCAA’s March Madness tournament is an exciting thing to watch. I, personally, get hooked on the enthusiasm of the fans. I also love those last-minute game-winning shots, especially when the home crowd rushes the court to celebrate.

In stark contrast to the spirit of March Madness, your average job search is rarely a celebratory affair. The experience is intense, but for many, it’s more like torture than a basketball tournament.

That said, the interview process does have some things in common with a basketball tournament. Each candidate is scrutinized for strengths, weaknesses, and potential competitiveness. Those who make it through each round of the interview process will eventually emerge victorious above all competitors.

Read 7 Ways to WOW Employers This Year

Unfortunately, few candidates really understand their value.

My clients never seem to understand their full potential until I’ve worked closely with them to flesh it all out.

You don’t necessarily need a career consultant to cheer you on through the job search. You can capture the exciting spirit of March Madness in your own job search by following some of these tips:

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1. Get Some Early Wins

In March Madness, the losers go home with no second chance. Similarly, when no one notices your unique abilities, you have no shot at landing your dream job.

You win when your achievements meet the employer’s needs. How can you score some early wins to really show off your skills? Schedule some informational interviews. Find employees at your target companies and network. Get that first request for an interview.

Read 8 Ways to Foster Effective Job Interview Conversations

2. Get Your Team Involved

It’s rare for an individual to carry their whole team all the way to the championship. Making it that far takes everyone doing their part.

You, similarly, need a job search team. Career coaches, references, supportive network contacts, and even the people who watch your kids while you go on interviews – they are your team. You must keep all of your teammates engaged and enthusiastic in order to succeed.

3. Out-Compete Other Candidates

You need to compete to land the job. You need to impress the potential employer more than anyone else does.

To do this, you need to know what your competitors are doing and how they are winning over employers. The point is not to copy your competitors. On the contrary, you will need to do better than they do; you will need to exceed the employer’s expectations.

The winner in any job search is the one who delivers the most value to the employer.

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4. Use Your Timeouts Wisely

During March Madness, coaches wait to use their timeouts until doing so is critical. Similarly, the use of timeouts at the right moments is crucial to your job search success and your well-being. Take timeouts wisely. Give your body and mind time to re-energize when need be.

Listen to You’ll Need These Linkedin Strategies for Job Search Readiness with Marc Miller

5. Finish Strong

Even if your interview went well, you must accept your competition might do better. The little things matter. Thank-you notes, follow-up calls, and how you treat the people with whom you come in contact make all the difference. Your best bet is to connect with interviewers and potential referrers on social media and through personal contact. Keep the relationships warm.

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Those of us who watch the NCAA tournament understand the enthusiasm, drama, and unpredictability of March Madness. The competitive spirit makes it exciting for us fans.

Many job seekers enter “Job Search Madness” knowing others are doing the same, but few understand the competitiveness needed to win over employers. Just as you expect a team to compete in order to win the tournament, you should expect to put in the same kind of effort to position yourself as the best candidate.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

11 Ways to Hit a Home Run in Your Job Search

I know. Baseball season is here and I’m talking about home runs. Hear me out (no pun intended). But this is important.

You will fall behind the competition if you don’t stand out in today’s job search. For example,

I know promoting myself makes me feel squirmy, a little dirty, and even a little wordy. It’s likely it’s the same for your job search.

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It’s being afraid to slide into third base because you don’t want to stain your uniform. #jobsearch

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You can’t have it both ways. Want to hit a homerun? The effort to stand out means taking a chance you’ll be tagged out.

The idea came from this article on business, but I know it applies to other meaningful concepts. Many of us want to do things we’re comfortable with for success, but doing something that makes us uneasy or takes us out of our comfort zone are usually the best methods to achieve our goals.

Read: 5 Ways to Avoid the Dark Storm of Underemployment

There are things in your job search you haven’t tried yet, conversations you’re unwilling to have, and things you’re doing that are fruitless and should stop. Here are 11 of them:

1) Keeping track of accomplishments.

The question “How do you add value to your work?” can be dumbfounding, but necessary to answer. Interviewers will seek it out in many ways and the way to solve it is to know (and remember) your successes. Performance reviews, emails, meeting minutes, conversations with you and without you complimenting you are critical. Document all of it and know it’s gold throughout your career.

2) Public speaking.

It’s horrific, and sometimes it requires the casting out of demons, but for the sake of imbibing this point, let’s eliminate speeches. Let’s say it’s a panel interview and you have to be direct with five people. If you don’t, you won’t get the job. It’s a little more complicated than casting out demons, but there are many ways to get over the fear.

3) Cutting down distractions significantly.

Few people cut out television completely, but cutting it down could serve you well. A successful job search requires building up your personal brand. Few people take the time to build their brand (a huge mistake!), especially in the beginning stages. You need time, and too many job seekers are mindlessly mesmerized by television. Or social media. Or Tik Tok. You get the drift.

4) Seeking feedback.

I overheard a conversation where one person said their mentor never tells them anything negative. The friend said, “You mean critical?” The answer, “Yes! She knows I don’t like critique!” I can’t imagine having the mentors I had in my life without their constructive feedback.

Another way to look at it is how training is effective. Accreditation is important because of the useful and the response to required feedback. Can you imagine elementary schools with no feedback? Higher education?

5) Persistence through trials.

Finding a job or a career is hard work. If you’re without a job, for most of us the job search is the priority in our lives. If we’re employed and conducting a stealth job search, then our priorities shift to take care of the most urgent need.

Whatever it is, #persistence is what gets results. #courage #jobhunt

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Read Do You Know What Skills Employers Are Looking For?

6) Networking without a networking event.

The cliche, everything is networking and networking is everything in job search success. There are everyday conversations with opportunities behind them. If you’re intentional, you won’t need a scary networking event. Then there are social media channels where it’s expected to be social. Stop playing! You’re one conversation away from a breakthrough.

7) Defending your career choices.

Protecting your career choice is not always a negative conversation. Sometimes it clarifies your choices, especially if you’re passionate about it. You don’t always have to defend it with people who are most critical about any choice you make, but some people do care about you (and only you can discern this) and want to know your “why.”

8) Training others.

Training is the new learning, especially with the access to information and tools available to us. Even if it is one-on-one, it is a real lead generator. People are always looking for a knowledgeable person with patience and communication skills to help them learn something new.

9) Asking for compensation.

To accompany #8, ask and expect compensation for your time in a tactful and reasonable way. You’ll find it adds value to your needs and career. To an employer, getting paid for your training, consulting, or coaching shows you’re serious about your career. Sometimes an employer hesitates, thinking you may leave if consulting or coaching takes off. Then again, it may not be their business to know you are getting paid for it or achieving success at it. It is common for people to have side hustles, part-time jobs, or interests outside of work. You have a valuable skill, and people should compensate you for your time.

10) Promoting yourself.

When sharing your accomplishments don’t simply say, “I’m great!” It’s a fact that your accomplishments add credibility, which is more career advancing and personal brand building. Putting these adjectives from you with “I’m…” sends the wrong message. Credibility and specificity carry far more weight to others than any adjective we can put out there ourselves. Promote yourself for the credibility.

Listen to Graduates, the Skills Gap is Real

11) Confronting time-consuming complex problems.

Everyone values time, but what about the value to have a chance to solve career-defining issues? Patience and persistence are boosts to your career if you want to impress employers. Document how you address deeply involved projects and leverage them to demonstrate competency.

We expect miracles to take place too often because a method we try requires little effort. Since looking for jobs is inertia-sucking, we loathe the exhaustion to our body, brains, and heart without realizing that progress is needed to succeed. You don’t need to do everything, but relying on comfortable measures invalidates the sweet spot. Go ahead and aim for that home run. You’ll be tagged out at times, your uniform will be filthy, but you’ll be a better base runner.

Originally published on the Jobs2Careers blog! This is an updated version.