Become an Opportunity Magnet

Read Time — 3 minutes.

Hello there! Happy Saturday.

Today’s newsletter is about how to make yourself magnetic to bring opportunities to you (sounds pretty great, right?).

I’ll tell you how I’ve done it and how you can apply a similar strategy.

Most of you follow me on LinkedIn and found me through my posts or profile page.

But the thing is, I never used to post. I just started 4 months ago.

Sure I’d click ‘like’ on a post and write a comment here and there. But I never thought about creating content regularly.

I didn’t feel like I had anything interesting to post about. So why bother?

The Big Leap

After my layoff in December, my mindset toward content creation completely shifted.

Working for a company held me back in many respects. I felt silenced.

But once I was no longer tied to a company, I was fired up. I felt so many emotions and wanted to take action and express myself more formally.

Sure, I was scared of what people might think of me. I’m fairly introverted, so taking my ideas and opinions public felt quite intimidating. I had so many questions:

• What would my former coworkers and friends say?

• Would I get negative people trolling me?

• What if no one likes my posts?

But on January 1st, I took the leap and made my first post! I wrote about someone I admire, with a fun twist:

I spent hours writing this post!

I had no clue what I was doing. But it didn’t matter. The topic didn’t either.

I just needed to get over my fear. And take the first step.

It was a pleasant surprise that I received so much support. And that support has continued now that I post regularly (5-6x/week). And there haven’t been any trolls (thankfully!).

I actually started posting several weeks before I had the idea for Layoff Lemonade. But I didn’t let my lack of direction at the time stop me.

I decided I was going to build the plane as I was flying it (one of my favorite phrases!).

It’s Raining Opportunities

A couple of weeks ago, I received a DM.

It was from a guy at a staffing agency looking to hire their next tech recruiter (I previously worked in recruiting).

But the thing is, I’m not interviewing.

I wrote him back thanking him for reaching out and to let him know I wasn’t interested.

He persisted, sending me more messages.

He mentioned that he had seen my LinkedIn posts and felt that I was the right person for the job. He said he loved my content and that he felt like I could add valuable insights to their team.

This interaction really got me thinking.

There are thousands of unemployed recruiters on the market right now. But yet I was the one he wanted to pursue.

Additionally, I was recently interviewed by the Los Angeles Times and MarketWatch. I’ve also been invited to be a guest on an upcoming podcast.

I didn’t seek out these opportunities. They came to me. All because I post content regularly!

I don’t say this to brag. I want you to see the value in posting and teach you how to get opportunities like this!

I think a lot of it has to do with that I take a vastly different approach to my career:

• I’m public

• I’m authentic

• I’m opinionated

Now opportunities come looking for me, even when I’m not actively looking for them.

This boggles my mind because this never used to happen to me.

This is the value of building your personal brand.

Taking a Chance

I know many of you are scared to post content or aren’t sure where to start.

You’re concerned about what a future employer or client might think. That they might reject you for publicly voicing your ideas and opinions.

But quite the opposite is true! You’re attracting them to you.

You see, recruiters and prospective clients spend a lot of time on LinkedIn.

But much of the content on LinkedIn is BO-RING:

• An ad for an online university

• Your friend attended a conference in Phoenix

• Your ex-coworker from 4 jobs ago got a promotion

SNOOZE.

If you can stand out in their news feed with an interesting take on a hot topic, they’ll take notice in the best way! Employers and clients are looking for people who can add value in unique ways.

Shockingly, only 1% of LinkedIn users globally post regular content. That means there is a TON of opportunity reserved for those of us who get involved!

If you’re frustrated by how your career has been going, it’s time to switch things up. Stand out and be different!

Ready to get started? Here are 5 easy steps:

1. Set a Google Alert for a few relevant topics in your industry (i.e. AI/ChatGPT, digital transformation, remote work). You can choose to receive daily or weekly emails. Skim the emails to see which articles resonate with you. Pick one.

2. Borrow the main ideas from the article but give your hot take (Don’t plagiarize! Use the article as inspiration).

3. Synthesize it into 3-5 bullet points.

4. Start your post with a 1-line ‘hook’, something catchy to create interest and grab attention.

5. Post!

Bonus tip: Make sure to like and comment on all comments people make on your post! Do this ideally within the first 30-60 minutes after posting. The LinkedIn algorithm will take notice and boost your post more to your 1st- and 2nd-degree connections to further your reach.

Many of my posts were inspired by popular news articles! Check out this one on high-yield savings accounts and this one on supercharging your job search for ideas.