I just made another viral Linkedin Post

Go see it here - I’d appreciate a comment and like, to keep it going

But here’s the thing about this post

1. AI wrote all of it

2. Its got some great points

3. One of you reached out to me last week asking for a topic like this to be written about

So today we gonna talk about becoming valuable and getting noticed

JOBS

How to be the first to apply!

Just watch this video, it’s pretty freaken smart

Basically a hack on how to get jobs posted even within the last 30 minutes!

CAREER ADVICE

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Growing up, especially in primary and high school, I so badly wanted to be like everyone else…

…It caused me so much anxiety that I was different, foreign, super skinny, and shitty grades…

Now its really the best thing i’ve got going for me

And i think from a career point of view, you really want to distinguish yourself from the rest

1. It helps you keep your job in bad times

2. It helps you get promoted rapidly or poached in good times

So how do we do this?

Well, first, if you havent already, read my linkedin post, honestly, those 5 points are pretty freaken gold

Also, I wrote about this same topic a few months back, you can read that HERE - so this list is going to add to that.

Lets dig in

1. Brand - this is a weird one, and one that I wasnt too deliberate about, but wish I had been.

   • Internally - you have to be known and recognized for something on the work side of things: trustworthy, dedicated, hardworking, knowledgeable, overachiever

   • Internally continued - you have to be known for something personally, sports, fitness, family, travel, something

   • Externally - You have to translate this to others, not just in your work, but outside, through linkedin, events, networking opportunities, meetups, etc

My brand was the cool european kid that liked the ladies (Investec really got that out of me) but I was also known to be passionate about investment banking and knowledgeable about the industry and the latest trends (especially crypto lol)

This is how i got a really lucartive contract, someone who heard about me knew that I’d crush it for their team and they poached me

This is also how i got a potential contract (that failed, but more on that later) - because i used to gym like crazy and one of the executives was a member of the same gym, we got to talking…

2. Show AND tell - I used to let my work speak for me, this is great in a lot of places, but if its a bigger company or there are politics involved, you have to do a lot of TELLING else trust me, you will Show, and someone will Tell it’s their work - this literally happened to me in front of my face lol

3. Business - “Im a business, man, not a businessman” - you know who said that? Jay Z

   Understand your industry, competitors, customers, revenue, expenses, stakeholders, market. When you become a yes man, a jira ticket puller, just another cog in the machine, you become replaceable pretty quickly.

If you have a brand, if you communicate your value, repeatedly and if you understand the business - you will become more valued in your company

And if you want to know more strategies to standing out, read this post

INTERVIEW ADVICE

Re-read the above

If you’re about to interview somewhere, having great stories about all of the above is perfect

1. Knowing your brand, can help you ask questions around their culture, work ethic, and team

2. Being able to effectively communicate your past achievements, makes them remember you and want you

3. Understanding the business, shows them you think more about just being a coding monkey

PERSONAL STUFF

Failed business opportunities

Now, I mentioned earlier about a business opportunity I found while working out in the gym

It was in the Virgin Active Classic in Sandton - I used to train there at 4:30am every day

• Exercise

• Sauna/Steam

• Shower and Shave

• Get changed and head out

I was also ripped and jacked - this got peoples attention, and signalled at the very least, that i was dedicated, competent and goal-oriented.

A guy spoke to me the one day, Kheta Mazibuko, an executive at Standard Bank - a real big wig and hot shot at the company - “I’ve seen you at work, want to grab a coffee?”

1 Hour later, we were at the Standard Bank, Rosebank building, having a coffee and talking shop - he was telling me about an App the bank was building (sorry no more deets than that, not sure whats the status of that project)

He wasn’t happy with the current team and wanted someone to take over and lead the delivery, while also bringing more developers into the fold

My eyes changed from dark brown circles, to bright green dollar signs - We spoke for weeks about the opportunity, I lined everything up for getting this done

Then

Poof

Covid - people were freaking the F%^& out

Dropped funding, no budgets, no moola - the dollar signs left my eyes, they went back to brown and boring and I started working remotely.

It was disappointing, here was a chance to make some serious money and build something cool too!

But thats life, things happen and things dont happen - i’ve actually had a number of opportunities come, while i was working out at that Virgin Active Classic in Sandton - just goes to show how networking plays out.

THATS A WRAP

What did you think about the new section?

Im super curious if i should be sharing about my wins and losses with you, my personal life, or if you guys dont care about me as much as I care about me 😛 

Let me know and as usual:

1. LinkedIn - I’m always hiring - but only 2 to 4 people a month - connect with me on and send me your CV - currently, I only hire people with 7 or more years of experience - if you have less, but are EXCEPTIONAL, i’ll make exceptions

2. Youtube - i’m always making content to help you out, subscribe and binge

3. Free Career Advice - i’m going to be giving away CV feedback for early subscribers for free, I usually charge $100 for a resume roast - i’ll make a recording and send you feedback - just reply back to this email with your CV - its totally free for first 10 people