#18. How do you actively find opportunities?

One of the benefits of writing to people is that they sometimes respond. Most of my writing is for a single person in mind or a conversation summary.

A coworker from a decade ago wrote a long letter responding to my previous post and my “Thank you for reading! How are you?” comment.

My friend was affected by layoffs and had difficulty finding a new job. As a result, they had to decide to vacate the apartment and seek help from friends. It was a heartbreaking story.

There is a great need for coaching and mentoring. Since that is why I am writing, I have tried to do my best to help.

There is a lesson here; do not skip it. Reach out to people.

The rest of this letter is tactical advice on what to do to improve your lot.

Decide on the next “pivot” in your life.

In my previous post, #16. “How can you ensure your career is both satisfying and progressing?” I discussed micro-pivots and choosing where you want to go in the next couple of years. The link is provided below.

Once you choose your next career step, search for personal profiles of people in the desired position and related job descriptions and copy them to your notes - Obsidian is my choice, but Google Docs will do.

Find your next job profile.

Once you have at least a few pages of content, export it as a TXT or MD document. Upload the file to the LLM of choice, i.e., ChatGPT, etc., and start asking the following questions:

“Please analyze the file I have provided and answer the following questions.”

“What are the most common keywords people search when looking for candidates described in the document.”

“Give me a list of skills that best describe this role.”

“Give me a single sentence tagline that fits this profile.”

“Write a short cover letter or introduction that describes the position.”

Do NOT copy any of that to your resume!

Review your LinkedIn resume.

LinkedIn is the “de facto” place for your career; focus on it, and you will do well.

Next, keep the AI results in one document and look at your resume, which should include all your previous jobs, certifications, activities, volunteering, recommendations, and school projects. Do not skip these sections. You will use them to your advantage.

Review every word of your resume, keeping in mind what was in the past that was related to what you are seeking. I have done it multiple times previously:

• When seeking developer or architect roles, I de-emphasized that I was a manager, director, and successful startup founder and focused on technical skills.  

• When seeking a management role, I focused on the leadership qualities of every job, including the USMC “Total Quality Leadership” training a few decades ago.

• Remove anything that does not help your cause and suggest to a new employer that you are not serious about your career. More on your Internet presence later.

• Ensure the organization’s names are official, selected from a dropdown, and have official logos. You want your profile to look legitimate.

Once you clean up your resume, export it to a TXT or MD file, give it to your favorite LLM, i.e., ChatGPT, and ask similar questions.

“Given my resume, please answer the following questions…”

“What is missing in my resume to achieve the previously discussed role?”

“Give me a short description using my own experiences that fit the role I am looking for.”

Do NOT paste any answers to your resume yet.

Go to the setting of your LLM and find the equivalent of the following:

“What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?”

And describe in clear language what you are looking for.

Once you do it, please do another round of questions until you arrive at something you like, and that fits you.

In the next section, you will update LinkedIn and any public Internet presence.

Make the first impression with LinkedIn.

The combination of the photo you choose, the tagline, and the cover letter is your chance for the first impression. 

You have only one chance. Miss it, and you will fail.

Choose the profile photo.

I understand that not everyone is comfortable putting their face on the resume. 

In my personal opinion, not putting any photo automatically eliminates you. There are many great candidates for each position. Details matter.

Plenty of services will create a pleasant and professional avatar of your face.

Some people opt for a professional photographer, and some employers offer this service for free. Take advantage of it. It is probably the best option, especially for management positions.

My choice of photo is probably not very professional. I opted for sunglasses and a background to set a certain mood. A “suit” photo would not work for me at this moment, but this may change in the future.

Choose a tagline

Your tagline has to be short. 

Your tagline must show both who you are and where you are going.

I changed my tagline countless times, and by the time you read it, it will probably change again.

Write a personalized cover letter and introduction 

You noticed that I wrote:

“Do not copy ChatGPT-created text to your resume.”

AI can provide a great framework and guidelines, but it might come across as sterile, impersonal, or, worse, fake. 

Write your own story. Make it personal.

People are looking for undiscovered gems.

Sweep the reader off their feet. Re-write it often.

We are social creatures. Work on your relationships.

Before you start, clean up your public social media. Companies want to know that the candidate they choose out of many is reliable, balanced, and likable.

A lack of Internet presence might also be questionable, too. Desirable candidates publish articles and go the extra mile. I want to know how the candidate communicates in writing.

I worry if you have less than “500+” contacts on LinkedIn. 

By the time you read this, you will probably have completed 14 years of school and maybe 4 to 6 years of college. That is 20 years of meeting people every day. 

LinkedIn is an example of a professional network; it signals your intentions. 

Insta-face-pin-threads are for fun. Make the distinction.

The apps and algorithms change. I like to write “evergreen” posts that will be useful 10 years from now. In this case, however, I make an exception: Translate this to the technology of your time.

You have to start with your schoolmates and teachers, with parents and their friends. If you connect to all of them and (especially) to me, the rest of the professional world is your 2nd-degree connection. 

Choose the connections you request carefully. You have to prioritize.

LinkedIn allows you to add about a hundred new, 2nd-degree contacts per week or 5,200 contacts per year. Please do not waste a single week.
Time is a perishable and irreplaceable resource.

In your career, you should gain tens of thousands of contacts. They will be useful in many ways.

At this point, you should read my post #7. “Why should you make a human connection, not a quid-pro-quo proposition, to assure a successful (business) relationship?” The link is provided below.

Good luck!
That should keep you busy, at least until my next post.
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Keep reading below. There is some good information there.

Respectfully,

Uki D. Lucas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ukidlucas/

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