Category Archives: The Art of Finding Work

What Life Did Your Parents Want for You? What Life Did You Want for Yourself? What Life Are You Living?

By Nick Kossovan While paying some bills online, three questions suddenly popped into my head. These questions may have manifested themselves because Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are coming up or because I had recently attended a friend’s 60th birthday party, but I am speculating. (I am not comfortable with, and hence not good at, self-analysis.) It felt… Read More »

Are You  Willing to Pay for Social Media? 

Are you willing to pay for access to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, LinkedIn, etc.?  The Internet was founded on the premise that information should be freely available, which ironically turned out to be one of the Internet’s biggest drawbacks.  Only a decade ago, everyone was questioning how Facebook makes money. No one asks that anymore. We now… Read More »

Interview Preparation Beyond the Bare Minimum Boosts Your Likelihood of Success

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius Would you disagree with Confucius? What about Polish-born American film producer Samuel Goldwyn, who once said a universal truth about achieving success when he said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”? Success is undeniably based on preparation. As far… Read More »

2023 Column 04 – The Art of Finding Work

TITLE: Being Charismatic Greatly Benefits Your Job Search We all know someone who walks into a room and instantly turns heads. There is an immediate attraction to them without any apparent effort on their part. Their company makes you feel good. They seem cool, confident, collected, self-assured and comfortable in their own skin. They may not be attractive,… Read More »

2023 Column 03 – The Art of Finding Work

TITLE: Employers Buy Into You Based on Emotion “Emotions have no place in business unless you do business with them.” — Friedrich Durrenmatt, Swiss author. You may have heard the saying, “People buy on emotion and rationalize with logic.” This consumerism adage is also true for how employers hire. Hence, there is an unspoken hiring truism you need… Read More »

The Art of Finding Work II

 Asking for Feedback is Pointless. Instead, Ask for Advice. If a candidate I did not hire wants to make me uncomfortable, they only need to ask for feedback. (I will revisit this.) Self-proclaiming job search experts and career coaches commonly advise asking for feedback when you do not get the job you have interviewed for. The thinking—as if… Read More »

Alcohol vs. COVID Vaccination. Alcohol vs. COVID Vaccination. When the Science Does Not Suit Us, We Question It

WARNING: My enjoying playing ‘devil’s advocate’ has been pointed out on many occasions—it makes for thought-provoking writing. I assume you are aware of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) having issued revised alcohol consumption guidelines. The new guidelines, released after a two-year research project funded by Health Canada, are shocking, which the media, not surprisingly, has… Read More »

The Art of Finding Work

TITLE: Turbocharge Your LinkedIn Profile to Generate Job Opportunities “The power of visibility can never be underestimated.” – Margaret Cho (American comedian) Welcome to 2023! I hope this is the year you find an employer where you feel accepted and at home. A job seeker’s best compass is to prioritize finding where they belong. Think: “I’m not looking… Read More »