Create Your Own Opportunities
by Ian Christie, President of BoldCareer.com
Monster Contributing Writer 
Here is one of those basic laws of life: There will always be opportunities for those who recognize and pursue them. The lucky people are simply those who have taken more chances than average.
But you need a strategy for seizing opportunities, one that consistently demonstrates your passion for and commitment to your field. Stick with your plan, and you'll reap rewards in your job search or business endeavor.
Three Steps to Creating Your Own Opportunities
Step One: Find Your Niche
You can make your own opportunities by identifying and pursuing a niche that is either being underserved or is an emerging trend. Once you recognize a need, look at it objectively from all angles and get creative about how you could serve that need. This strategy applies to both entrepreneurs and those in the job market. You may have an idea about how to do something better, faster, cheaper or at a higher quality. You may have a new service idea.
Step Two: The Guru Strategy
Make sure your niche overlaps with what you do well and what you're passionate about. Once your niche is defined, make it your business to know more than your peers about this area.
Now devise a strategy that helps you stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Develop, promote, and lead a web site, blog or online discussion forum on your area of expertise. Write articles and submit them to magazines, newspapers, related Web sites and email newsletters. Write a book. Self-publish. Do public speaking. Expand your sphere of influence in your area. Get quoted. Consult. Mentor. Coach.
What you are doing is deepening your knowledge and sharing it with the world. If you do this effectively, you will get noticed among the people who matter in your field. You may become the person people go to for information. This puts you in a wonderful position. You are no longer one of the many, but one of the few.
Step Three: Give in Order to Receive
One of the best ways to advance is to give. This is doubly powerful when the giving you engage in is directly related to your area of expertise. Whether you host a free industry trends blog, write and give away free articles, or volunteer to work in industry events, you will be contributing in a meaningful way to the advancement of your specialty, and you will be noticed.
Determine What You Want and What You'll Accept
What is your goal? To land a job? To align your work with what you are passionate about? To become famous?
You should have a range of acceptable outcomes emerging from this work. You will of course have a primary goal, but be very open to unforeseen consequences. When you commit yourself to something, life has a funny way of throwing opportunities in your direction. Be open to them.
Develop and Work Your Plan
How are you going to pursue this opportunity? You can't and shouldn't do everything. Pick your strategy and tactics, and create a plan. Make it happen. It sounds simple, but execution is the most important part of the process.
Ten Things You Need to Create Your Own Opportunities
Keeping in mind the process above, here is a quick list of the things you'll need to create your own opportunities.
- The right mindset: You can create opportunities if you take charge of your career.
- A spirit of adventure.
- Self-knowledge: Know your values, skills, strengths and weaknesses, and what you're passionate about. This is the time to shape something to fit you, rather than shape you to fit your work.
- An idea and imagination.
- Knowledge and skills: In your area of expertise, yes, but you will also need to acquire skills to help with self-promotion.
- Analytical thinking: Analyze opportunities and make sound decisions.
- Initiative and drive.
- Courage.
- Resilience: Success is rarely immediate. Resolve not to abandon this take-action spirit.
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Flexibility: When you take the initiative, good things happen, but sometimes they aren't what you intended. Be flexible to what life throws your way. You may be surprised.
Ian Christie founded BoldCareer.com, a career-planning and career-coaching firm, to provide managers, executives, the self-employed and professionals with the inspiration and means to build bold, fulfilling careers. BoldCareer.com offers free career management resources.