Danielle suggests occasions are all around us, and the first step is to be open to discovering them. “I have seen too many well-positioned and prepared people miss out on opportunities there for the taking,” he writes. “The issue was not about their efforts, qualifications; it was about their narrow fields of vision in looking for such opportunities.”
At the core of Danielle’s advice: preparation and work is key. He strikes this home with a quote from Thomas Edison: “Most people miss opportunity — because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
The author explains research has shown opportunities come to individuals who actively identify and cultivate strategic contacts, and who outwork others (and get noticed for doing so). He warns that building contacts must be more than collecting LinkedIn or Facebook friends. Danielle offers it takes staying in touch, sharing articles or giving updates on common interests, career paths, industries, or hobbies. “The key is consistency and sincerity, and a willingness to pay it forward. It is important to remember — the more personal and deeper the connection, the more real and strategic the contact becomes for both of you.”
Other suggestions included in this audiobook:
- Set aside time to learn on a consistent basis
- Take and maintain an inventory of your skills, experiences and knowledge (including skills gained from volunteer positions or hobbies)
- Allow yourself to venture outside of your comfort zone
- Pay it forward: often opportunities will follow
- Believe in yourself
Danielle concludes: “Having the passion, commitment, conviction and confidence to believe anything is possible is when the world opens up to you.”
The author also discusses how the pandemic and collapse of sections of the employment market forced people to reevaluate their skills, with many choosing to pursue new opportunities. These opportunities had always been there, but few had the motivation or courage to pursue them. Danielle noted, “As the pandemic continued to upend and destroy our job markets, something very interesting started to happen — it began to create new entrepreneurs.”
Danielle encourages the listener not to wait for a pandemic, a job loss, or other outside event, but to “deeply explore your passions and interests, and … take an active inventory of your transferable skills.”
Further, he incentivizes the listener to look for opportunities in failure — not getting a promotion, being overlooked for a team, or getting a rejection for a job. “Demonstrating that you can rebound from not getting that position or promotion, by seeking out feedback and acting on it to make yourself more valuable, will get you noticed by your employer, as well as other potential employers you may not have considered before.”
Career Transition 101: Book 2, When Opportunity Knocks is Danielle’s second book in the Career Transition 101 series. All the e-Books and audiobooks in this series are available for free for IEEE members and for a nominal price for the general public.
Other books in the series are:
- Career Transitioning 101: Book 1, First Steps (audio and e-book)
- Career Transitioning 101: Book 3, As If Age Matters (e-book)
Dr. Robert Danielle is an expert in organizational behavior, leadership development and career transitioning. He has held strategic roles in media, technology, government/military and higher education focusing on professional/career development, leading large change initiatives, and improving individual/team performance. Danielle holds a Doctorate in Higher Education and Organizational Change; an Master’s in Information Systems Management; and a BA in Leadership. Danielle has served as an IEEE Student Branch Chair, and on the ABET accreditation process team for his university.
