Discovering my dream job through creating

Summary

The author discovered their dream job by creating content and networking within their industry of interest.

Abstract

The author's journey to their dream job began with a realization that engaging with their passions through content creation and networking was key. After years of envying others in their desired fields, they took a friend's advice to clarify their future goals, focusing on two main interests: writing and hosting discussions or interviews. They started writing on Medium about their passions—cars, sports, and tech—and initiated a Meetup group to connect with industry professionals. Despite initial challenges in attracting attendees, the author persisted, enjoying the process and the opportunity to communicate with like-minded individuals. This approach led to interviews with key figures, including a CEO of a company the author admired. Through these interactions and follow-up communications, the author not only created a niche for themselves but also caught the attention of industry decision-makers, ultimately securing a position that aligned perfectly with their aspirations.

Opinions

The author believes that content creation on platforms like Medium can be both enjoyable and a strategic move towards establishing oneself in a desired industry.
Networking through events such as Meetups is seen as a valuable method for building relationships with industry leaders, even if it initially falls outside one's comfort zone.
Personal branding and marketing oneself through content and networking are considered essential steps in creating competitive advantages in the job market.
The author emphasizes the importance of passion in the job search process and suggests that focusing on areas of interest can lead to more fulfilling career opportunities.
They acknowledge the role of persistence and patience, as demonstrated by their continued efforts even when the Meetup group started small.
The author values direct communication with industry professionals, viewing interviews as a means to gain insights, advice, and potential job opportunities.
Gratitude is highlighted as a key element in building professional relationships, with thank-you calls serving as a gateway to deeper connections and job prospects.

Content is the key to landing anything

Almost a year ago I landed my dream job.

It took a long time for me to find and explore a variety of different possibilities. Every time I saw passionate people working in their dream job and in industries they found interesting, I was jealous.

How did they do it? Were they just luckier than me, or did I miss something?

Unfortunately, the answer is not clear yet, but I do have a small hack that helped me find the job that I exactly looked for.

So, this is what I did after being frustrated for a long time:

Upon the advice of a close friend, the first and most important thing I did was to determine where I want to be in the near and distant future. As I narrowed down my interests to two, I understood what my ideal future was going to look like. I was able to recreate a bit more clarity in my mind.

I tried to see what is the fastest easiest action I could take in order to come closer to that future?

The answer for that was 2 main action items :

Start righting here a Medium (:

Start some kind of a Podcast/Meetup to have discussions or interviews with people from the industry I want to be a part of.

Righting here at Medium was a great quick win for me I saw it is fun and fulfilling to talk and think about the topics I'm passionate about (Cars, Sports, and Tech). Starting a Meetup on what I'm passionate about was a bit harder, to put yourself in the front of something- out of your comfort zone- is always tricky. I had to also find people to accept to come and talk in a Meetup for a guy that no one heard of and harder than that was to find people who would come and listen.

So on the first few meetups, the only people who came were a few friends of mine, and then it started getting better. While it wasn’t where I wanted to be, it was still pretty small, and it didn’t matter because I had fun doing it. Just talking with them was enough for me. I found it super interesting to just talk to those people.

After inviting those people for an interview, I had a direct line of communication with them, allowing me to ask questions, consult, or discuss the industry.

Each interview was followed up with a thank-you call to the interviewee. At that point, I had the chance to establish a relationship with them. When I called to thank him I shared that I’m exploring new opportunities, he responded surprisingly that he is looking for and he would be glad to begin the process. After a long process, he informed me that they are going with someone else. But I understood that I might have something here. Soon after doing that, I interviewed the CEO of a company I had been following for quite some time, and to work there was a dream for me.

In my thank you call, he told me that he is looking for someone exactly like me to do exactly what I want to do.

It was not just my chance to be on the team I wanted to be on, but also to be a star, and this time I didn’t miss out on it and joined a winning team.

My conclusion here is pretty clear: the 1st reason I found this job was because I was looking at a topic I was passionate about.

The second was creating competitive advantages by showing who I am, getting to know the decision-makers, and marketing myself, and that is how I leveraged my content.