Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he can open a seafood restaurant tomorrow.

I used tag along with my dad on some of his fishing trips. Those were fun times. Just dad and me. (Well, not counting the other half a dozen fellows who joined in). We'd be up before dawn on a Saturday and head off with the windows down in his rusty brown Fiat special T. The bracing air dancing in my hair and the cassette deck would be playing some groovy 70s tunes as we sped down the empty roads. 

We always stopped at our favourite breakfast place in Pasir Panjang (near Haw Par Villa) where Uncle Mickey's wooden boat was stored. Breakfast would be simple. A hot coffee (I started young) and a scrumptious Nasi Lemak, extra sambal macik.... 

Dad would pack a takeaway lunch of rice & rendang for both of us plus several cartons of lemon tea into our coleman cooler box. It was always the same routine. The same comments about the weather, the same advice about school work, the same questions about potential girlfriends. And both of us with that same silly grin. We were going fishing! 

Sadly, that corner shop has been replaced by a 7-11 and that body of sea been reclaimed and factories now tower over my childhood memories. 

Once the car was parked, I'd be down to my swim trunks, barefoot and shirtless. Helping to unload our tackle. Many times, I'd be in the store where the outboard motors were kept and made myself useful. The smell of gasoline & grease still brings me back to that moment in time.

By the time the sun started peeking out, the trailer pulled by an ancient tractor would have lowered us into the cold freezing water and away we went. Uncle Mickey, a spritely septuagenarian would be at the captain's wheel. He was a wizen old gentleman, skin sandpapered by the unforgiving salty sea breeze and blazing sun. He used to sail the seven seas as a young man but settled down on land to run a petrol station eventually. 

We never really knew where we would be going. Uncle Mickey kept a map of all the fishing spots he knew in his head. After consulting the weather, tide conditions, moon phase and his recurring gout, he'd point the bow towards that secret location and rammed the twin 200hp Mercury engines with us thumping down hard on our butts with each wave we slammed into.

Once he was satisfied, he would anchor us down and gently rolled a cigarette while the rest would quickly set up rods and get down to business of the day. And then it was pretty much the luck of the draw. Many times, the chaps on the right would pull in fish after fish, while the losers on the left would just stare blankly into the distance pretending not to hear the repeated high pitched cranking of the reel and gleeful shrieks of excitement. Each one meditating solemnly to his own fish in the murky depths below. 

Dad would hedge his bets and we would each go one way. As a kid, I usually got tired after catching in too many (If I happened to be on the good side) and dad was always eager to come over my side and help. But usually, I found myself on the wrong side of the boat and dad never needed help no matter how many times I offered!

I don't go fishing much these days. Dad didn't come home one day when the boat sank in a storm off the Horsburg lighthouse not too long after that. I was 14. Mum never allowed me near the sea for a long time. 

Life is alot like that. You need to be almost in exactly the right place for everything to happen. Slightly to the left and nothing happens. Life seems barren and cold. Opportunities are nowhere to be found. Move a step to the right, and the fish are biting non-stop, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. The secret is in knowing where to put your feet. 

I know that is a certainty in LinkedIn. Every tweak, every change brought me closer and closer to my goal. "That's good enough" isn't good enough for me. I examined every field, every section, every dimension. I read every word in the terms & conditions and community use agreement. I questioned every action, decision and "upgrades" made by LinkedIn's prolific but sorely uncommunicative software team. 

For over 13 years, I have explored every nook & cranny in LinkedIn. I've tested, probed and experimented. I've been warned, restricted and suspended many times over. Each time, I backed down grudgingly and licked my wounds, took notes and renavigated my way forward. And no, I do not just google for what others say and parrot that advice. 

This obsession with finding the best way on LinkedIn has resulted in a dozen different exciting jobs in 15 years. All headhunted by recruiters from all over the world. This has opened the door to interesting new learnings, travels across the globe, fancy hotels & restaurants. My own little corner office and got to work with some of the sharpest guys in the business for some of the world's most iconic brands. 

If the fish are not biting for you, let me know. Leave a message here, message me directly or email me at [email protected], I know some really sweet spots.

Catch you later, gone fishing..

I am the founder and Principal Trainer at The Candidate School. We are a training company that teach candidates & candidates-to-be the fine art of job search and attraction through our proprietary programs.