Invisible Gigs

This is the opposite of job applications - those are highly visible. I want to place some attention on the jobs that aren't posted.

Invisible gigs are always lurking, perhaps very close to you. Sometimes they pop up unexpectedly and sometimes, they take a lot of time and nurturing to develop.

How can you get in on invisible gigs? Your network and networking activity. I'll elaborate on that...

Some of the "best" gigs I have had all came from invisible sources. My first consulting jobs in sports came from years of networking and meeting with people. It's a tough industry to break into... I used to book meetings with the NHL in Toronto, to understand what was happening, to position my place in the industry. After 2 years of that - An NHL team had requested expertise from the League and they gave them my contact info. That lead to a corporate partner summit, which led to a 2 year project.

That led to an invitation to bid on a project with the Pittsburgh Penguins. I didn't get the gig - but felt a sense of accomplishment just to have the opportunity.

It was the recommendation from one of my NHL contacts that helped to land a gig with the NFL that covered two seasons on a project that was previously invisible to me.

There are other examples - but here's the take-away...

Your network activity matters. A lot. What you post on Linkedin, outside of likes, comments, shares... there are eyes on what you are doing. They may not reach out, it may take some time. Other invisible things might need to align... But you are on someone's radar.

Be active. Surround yourself with awareness. Even if what you are posting about isn't gaining a lot of engagement - keep going. Build the story around you. You never know what is just around the corner.