Stephen Lund ICD.D’s Post

Finding the *𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁* job is hard. A career that provides for you financially while also aligning with your purpose and passions isn't a luxury everyone is afforded. This means when you do find an opportunity worth pursuing, it's critical to shoot your absolute best shot. In my career as a CEO, spanning more than 20 years now, I've hired hundreds of people and interviewed hundreds more. Here are some of the common things I've noticed across successful candidates. Hopefully, they might help you land your own dream job. ↗ 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲. It's easy to parrot the basics, but go beyond the surface when you're doing your homework. Try and identify their key customer segments, main sales and marketing channels and primary competitors. Annual reports or strategic plans are great resources for finding key corporate objectives. ↗ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂. Know their backgrounds. Look for commonalities or shared connections. Did they work for a company you once worked with? What sports do they play? The power of a personal connection is an incredible shortcut to a more memorable interview. ↗ 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. 𝗕𝗲. 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲. ↗ 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵. From the security guard to the receptionist to the CEO, look them in the eye, introduce yourself, and shake hands. The fastest disqualifier for me is candidates who treat people differently based on their positions or influence. Everyone has influence. 𝗕𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲. Too many times, candidates feel the need to use every question as an opportunity to cover every attribute or experience. Answer each question thoroughly but succinctly. Have a compelling two-minute elevator pitch that covers the highlights of your resume. Answer the question that's been asked - don't wander. 𝗕𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁. And if you're not confident, fake it. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘇𝗲. Be ready to explain why you left or want to leave your current job. But don't criticize your current or former employer or boss. How you talk about one person is how you talk about every person. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁. Not just with one person, but with everyone in the room. Give specific examples that illustrate the impact of your contribution. The STAR method is an interview technique that gives you an easy format you can use to craft a memorable anecdote by laying out the situation, task, action, and result. Never leave an interview without asking a question. It shows your interest in the role and the company. Prepare thoughtful questions that reflect your research and curiosity about the position and company culture. Like most things in life, practice and preparation will only make you stronger and give you more room to showcase your personality, which will always be your number one sales tool. Good luck.

Great event celebrating 248 years of US independence! Thanks to US Consul General Baxter Hunt and his wife Deborah Derrick. Here with my colleague Daniel Hengeveld.

In a recent meeting with the Waterfront Toronto team, it struck me what a massive transformation is happening – it's more than cosmetic, it's a complete revitalization. When I see change on a scale like this, I always think about the teams driving it. The Waterfront Toronto team isn't just thinking big – they're thinking *differently.* And today, when 'change' and 'progress' are tablestakes, thinking differently is where real transformation happens. I imagine most people (myself included) would be daunted by the challenge of building a sustainable community for 100,000 new residents, including affordable housing, jobs for another 90,000, and an innovation corridor all while increasing the park and outdoor space we enjoy. Taking on a project of this scale is indicative of qualities needed to bring it to life: boldness, bravery, creativity and community-focused. Mixed-use communities like these help Toronto stand taller and prouder on the global stage. I left that meeting feeling inspired and with a stronger vision of what the future of Toronto's waterfront could be – a place where people thrive, ideas flourish, and the future looks as bright as the sun shining over the Toronto Islands. As we continue to attract new business from around the world, this is the kind of bold progress we need to make Toronto the obvious place to grow and scale. Kristina Verner, George Zegarac, Meg Davis, Terrie O'Leary, Tania Polsinelli, Daniel Hengeveld

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭. There is no doubt - the rise of artificial intelligence will have unprecedented impacts on the future of industry, and our civilization as a whole. But in the ongoing debate about AI replacing the need for human capital and creativity, I find myself more and more confident that the ultimate power of AI will only be fully realized through the collaboration of technology and the people behind it. And there is not a more collaborative ecosystem in the world for companies looking to build in AI than Toronto. Last week I sat down with some of the top AI thinkers, builders and ecosystem partners to celebrate the launch of Unilever's AI Horizon 3 Labs. Fascinating discussions with brilliant builders in the space left me more optimistic than ever about the art of the possible. Anat Shiloach, Chris Yip, Kumar Subramanyan, Claudia Krywiak, Joanne Crudele, Chris Greenfield, Helen Kontozopoulos, John Anthony Labarga, Gary Bogdani, Leanne Nosworthy, Daniel Hengeveld, Jennifer MacLean, Chris Evans, Adam Kowalski

I always have mixed feelings at the end of Collision Conf each year - it's an exhausting but exhilarating week, and I inevitably find myself relieved that it's over, but missing the energy and excitement that the conference brings to the city. It was an especially bittersweet end this year, as we say goodbye to an event that's helped put Toronto on the world map as a global tech hotspot (and exceptional host city). There are many opinions about Collision (now Web Summit) moving from Toronto to Vancouver next year, but I look at it as an obvious evolution for both the conference, and the country. Toronto has done for Collision what Toronto does best - provided a world-class destination for a growing tech brand to land, expand and make its mark, which is exactly what Collision achieved here. Thanks in large part to our incredible wealth of startups, diverse talent pool and engaged ecosystem, Collison thrived as *the* tech conference to attend in North America. Toronto has done its job, and I'm happy to see the migration to Vancouver, which will hopefully experience the same kind of growth and momentum that we saw in our own Region over the last several years. It's all in support of making Canada the irrefutable destination for growing technology businesses, and that's a win for all of us. Last week, we were honoured to share our stage with great companies like Phonexa and Hireguide, and some heavy hitter Toronto Region champions like Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Victor Fedeli, Andrew Weir, Giles Gherson, and Shelley Carroll, ICD.D. We'll show up in Vancouver next year the same way - in full force and with the best of Toronto in front of us. See you there.

We launched our annual impact report last week, and it's humbling to see the totality of what we've been able to accomplish.    Aside from attracting best-in-class companies like Unilever, Recursion, Snowflake (and many more), we've also created more than 𝟳,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗼𝘁���𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 through these investments.     Always appreciate having TG Board members Councillor Shelley Carroll, ICD.D, York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson and Board Chair Mark Cohon on hand to champion our work, and our great region. And a special thanks to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow for her guest appearance 🙌 Link in comments for the full report.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm an ardent supporter of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (and a pretty frequent flier if I do say so myself!). I'm in good company - here at Collision Conf, I've lost track of the amount of people singing the praises of how seamless it is arriving at a downtown airport a few minutes away from a major conference centre. Recent polling supports these anecdotes: ↗ Nearly 80% of respondents support the addition of new destinations across Canada and the United States ↗ 78% of respondents agree that it makes sense for Toronto to have an airport downtown Even more good news as Billy Bishop announced a couple of weeks ago it has 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 🙌. If you're a regular Porter Airlines Inc. flyer, you'll know what a huge difference this will make. As if that's not enough, the views from Billy Bishop have emerged as some of the most recognizable, iconic Toronto landmark shots from travellers around the world. I know there hasn't been a trip I've taken without adding to my camera roll. Having an airport in the heart of the city isn't something we should take for granted. I hear frequently from Toronto Global how much they appreciate landing in and leaving from the heart of the city. If you have as much love for the island airport as I do, check out the 𝙄𝙩𝙨 𝙈𝙮 𝘼𝙞𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 campaign and add your voice. Link in comments.