Think Like a Consultant, Not an Applicant
Picture a consultant walking into a client meeting.
She doesn't open with "I'm so excited to work with you" or "I think I'd be a great fit for your team." She opens with: "Here's your problem.
Here's how I'd fix it.
Here's what it costs you every month you don't."
That energy is exactly what's missing from most interview answers.
Here's the mindset shift that separates people who get offers from people who get ghosted: stop asking for a job.
Start offering a solution.
The Applicant vs. the Consultant
Applicants treat "Why should we hire you?" like a school exam.
They try to give the "right answer." They list qualifications, show enthusiasm, and hope the interviewer picks them.
Consultants see the same question differently.
They hear: "What's the business case for putting you on payroll?"
The interviewer has a budget.
They have a problem.
They need ROI.
Your job is to make the math obvious.
How to Make the Shift
Research before you pitch. Know their pain points going in.
Read the job description like a consulting brief.
What problems are hiding between the lines? What did they mention repeatedly during the interview?
Use their language. If they brought up "scaling challenges" three times, your answer should address scaling challenges directly.
Mirror their priorities back to them.
Frame yourself as the solution, not the supplicant. There's a significant difference between these two:
Applicant version: "I'm excited about this role and I think my background makes me a strong candidate."
Consultant version: "You need someone who can take your sales team from reactive to proactive.
I've built that playbook twice, once at a Series A startup and once at a Fortune 500.
I know what breaks at each stage and how to prevent it."
The first answer is about you.
The second answer is about them, with you as the answer.
The Litmus Test
After your answer, the interviewer should be thinking: "If we don't hire this person, we're leaving money on the table."
Not: "That was a nice answer."
Nice doesn't get offers.
Indispensable does.
Why This Works
When you position yourself as a solution provider, you change the dynamic of the conversation.
You're no longer a candidate hoping to be selected.
You're a professional assessing whether this engagement makes sense for both parties.
That confidence reads differently than enthusiasm.
It signals competence.
It signals that you've done this before and you know exactly what you're walking into.
You're not begging for a seat at the table.
You're showing them why the table is incomplete without you.
Show Up Prepared, Not Desperate
Thinking like a consultant starts before the interview — it starts with how you position yourself on paper. hrvstr tailors your resume and cover letter to frame you as the solution to each company's specific problem, not just another applicant in the pile.