Are you looking for a new opportunity? 

Or, maybe you’re not looking, but are you open to the right opportunity and aware that such opportunities often emerge when you least expect them?

If you understand how opportunities develop, you have a distinct advantage.

When it comes to finding a new opportunity, it’s easy to focus solely on “open” positions. 

But what about the steps leading up to that point? 

Let’s look at the behind-the-scenes stages of an opportunity that are not transparent to the job seeker.

Stage 1: The Catalyst.

The catalyst could result from previously imperceptible undercurrents that now reach a culmination or something sudden and dramatic.

Several factors can serve as catalysts for the development of a new opportunity, including:

• Business growth: As a company expands, it may create new positions to manage the increased workload and responsibilities.
• Organizational restructuring: Mergers, acquisitions, and changes in business strategy may lead to the creation of new roles.
• Market changes: The emergence of new technologies or shifts in industry trends can create new opportunities for people with specific skills and expertise.
• Leadership succession: As current executives retire or move on to other roles, organizations need to fill the gap in leadership.
• Regulatory changes: Changes in laws and regulations can also lead to the creation of new positions, particularly in industries such as finance and healthcare.
• Competitive need: Companies may create new positions to stay competitive with other companies in the industry.

These catalysts and others are the forces that set in motion the events that will result in a new opportunity.

Stage 2: Recognition of the Need.

As a result of one or more of the catalysts, there is a realization that the organization needs someone to help them achieve the objectives, solve the problems, or make the changes made necessary due to the catalyst.

The question surfaces, “Who can help us with this?“ 

Inevitably, leaders in the organization are racking their brains thinking of people they know or have crossed paths with that would have the leadership, experience, and expertise required.

Stage 3: Defining the Role.

Once the determination is made that someone is needed, it’s time to codify and define the role.

What specifically are we asking this person to do?

What is the scope of responsibility for this new role? 

What specific skills, experience, and qualifications will this person need?

How will this new position fit into the existing organizational structure?

How will success be measured?

This culminates in creating a job description, outlining the responsibilities and expectations for the position, and determining the compensation package.

Stage 4: Active Search and/or Posted Job.

Now recruiters are actively looking for the right candidate, or a job is posted, or both. This is by far the most competitive stage. Now, they may have hundreds and hundreds of applicants.

You see where I’m going with this, don’t you?

If you’re looking at posted jobs, you’re late to the game, especially for any leadership role.

It’s very likely that, particularly during stages two and three, someone has remembered someone they worked with in another place or someone with whom their organization has done business. 

In addition, someone else is advocating for someone they think would be good in this particular role. 

Someone is very likely in play.

Organizations will follow the steps of their formal hiring processes for the sake of internal morale, image, and reputation. And they don’t want any legal issues.

So how do we navigate a job market that works this way?

Your best bet is to engage in a targeted marketing strategy to create dialogue with people at the right level in the spaces that interest you.

You want conversations about industry dynamics and trends, emerging technologies and disruptors, organizational challenges and objectives.

It’s not about finding an opening in stages two and three.

Instead, it’s about solving their problem, achieving their objective, and taking the lead in making necessary changes.

It’s not about meeting qualifications.

It’s about your value proposition.

Opportunities are constantly developing.

The challenge is to be on the radar as these things are happening.