The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Powerful Ways Job Seekers Must Act Like a Consultant

5 Powerful Ways Job Seekers Must Act Like a Consultant

5 Powerful Ways Job Seekers Must Act Like a Consultant by Mark Anthony Dyson

Many job seekers approach their job searches as if waiting for someone to tell them what to do. I have seen professionals of all levels behave this way.

People naturally take the path of least resistance. They want to write a resume quickly and toss it to the turbulent winds of job boards.

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With luck, maybe 2 out of every 100 applications lead to a loose employment prospect.

Even professionals with challenging career paths approach job searches like coloring books: They will color inside the lines until someone tells them to do something different.

If you’re one of these job seekers, expect to conduct your job search for years to come. If you want to see success, you should start paying attention to how successful consultants control their careers. These independent professionals have a total say over how they work, when, on what they work, and for whom they work.

The consultant’s approach to working with clients is one you should adopt in your job search in the following ways:

via GIPHY

1. Consultants Take a Holistic Approach to Problem-Solving

Consultants look at the larger picture. They identify the most significant issues plaguing their clients and the areas affected. Consultants tend to look for the root of the problem without ignoring the symptoms. They walk people through issues and through the thought processes underpinning the solutions.

Now, as a job seeker, imagine you approached potential employers the same way: Identifying their big-picture issues, uncovering the roots, and explaining exactly how you could address the problems and add value. Suddenly, you’re not just a job seeker anymore but an asset.

Read Be a Consultant, Not a Job Seeker nor Anything Like Your Competition

2. Consultants Find the Right Fit

Before taking on work, consultants consider if they’re right for the client’s problem. No one can be everything to everyone, and consultants won’t work with clients unless they are absolutely sure it’s the best fit.

Job seekers should have the same mindset instead of taking a job with whoever wants them.

Successful job seekers see their interview with the hiring manager as a chance to interview the company. They ask questions during the interview not only to impress the interviewer but also to determine if the company is the right fit…

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3. Consultants Understand Their Industries

Consultants must find creative solutions. They adopt different strategies to identify and solve different problems. These thoughtful approaches require a deep understanding of the consultant’s client and industry.

Do you have a deep understanding of your industry and potential employers?

Read Think Like a Consultant: Win at Today’s Job Search

via GIPHY

4. Consultants Know Their Competitors

Consultants know what their competitors are doing and the results they’re achieving. They know all the latest trends among their competitors, including what’s working and what isn’t.

Likewise, job seekers must know how their competitors are winning employers over, and they have to use this information to prove their value above and beyond other candidates.

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5. Consultants Know When to Be Direct

Consultants may need to be tactfully direct when addressing a client’s issues. This approach often sparks additional questions, and consultants must be prepared to offer strategies for moving forward.

Job seekers, likewise, must enter interviews with concrete ideas prepared. They must be ready to initiate direct conversations about what the employer needs and how they can fulfill needs.

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.

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Filed Under: Job Search, Jobseekers Tagged With: consultant, Job Search, Job seekers

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Think Like a Consultant: Win at Job Search 2023

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.

  • Mail
  • |
  • Web
  • |
  • Twitter
  • |
  • Facebook
  • |
  • LinkedIn
  • |
  • More Posts(760)

Filed Under: Career Management, Job Search Tagged With: consultant, Job Search

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I moderated a panel on Wealth Management for executives by Black Enterprise Magazine in October 2023 in Miami.

I was interviewed on Scripps News show, “The Why!” 4/13/2023

I talked with John Tarnoff and Kerry Hannon of “The Second Act” podcast about job searching after 50 in October 2022.

I was on “The Career Confidante” podcast to talk about “boomerang employees” and “job fishing” in June 2022.

Making Job Search a Lifestyle With “Dr. Dawn Graham on Careers,” SiriusXM Ch. 132, Wharton School of Business May 2021

In May 2020, I talked with LinkedIn’s Senior News Editor Andrew Seaman on “#GetHired” Live.”

Beverly Jones, host of the NPR podcast “Jazzed About Work,” invited me back to talk job scams, job search trends, and AI tools in April 2024

WOUB Digital · Episode 183 : Job search expert Mark Dyson says beware of scams, know AI & keep learning

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