What If You Stopped Chasing Jobs—and Let Them Find You?

Sometimes career pivots stretch far beyond what we imagined—so long, in fact, that freelancer, consultant, or unemployed job seeker starts to feel like your only identity. In the meantime, you do what needs to be done: piecing together hourly work, taking on a patchwork of consulting or fractional gigs. 

You tell yourself it's temporary, but the weeks blur together. 
You scroll the job boards like clockwork, and it’s been how long since anything even remotely exciting popped up?
You’ve lost track of how many applications you’ve sent. 

Life has stepped in with its own demands—caregiving, unexpected responsibilities, even moments of joy, and you’ve said yes to it all, partly because helping others is one of the few ways you still feel valuable. You’re showing up for everyone else, but inside, your career confidence burned out a long time ago.

And maybe you’ve even wondered, Is this just how it’s going to be now?

But what if everything you’ve done during this stretch, every gig, every connection, every moment you chose to give instead of hustle—isn't a detour at all? What if this is the path? What if the real secret to landing fulfilling work isn’t about chasing it—but about becoming so aligned, so known for your brilliance, that the opportunity finds you?

Let me tell you a story about Kimberly, who did just that. I’ve connected with Kimberly on and off for several years. She popped into free workshops, joined a few of my events and mindset programs, and we often crossed paths at local networking events. Over time, we became friends.


Kimberly’s journey was anything but linear. She weathered turbulent layoffs, faced near-misses with job offers, and once dodged a notorious revolving-door position that popped up four times in two years—each hire left within months. At one point, we laughed about absurd interview questions she encountered like:
"Could you watch an animal being euthanized?"
"Is our Lord Jesus your Savior?"
…well then!


If you are someone who has been stuck in a prolonged career pivot - journey of exploration - I am going to share a strategy for how to make each day count. To make this gift of time an asset vs. a liability. Kimberly kept showing up, piecing together income streams and kept her eyes open for the right full-time fit. Meanwhile, she consulted, served on boards, served as a fractional Director of Development, supported others in nonprofit leadership, and quietly built something powerful: a magnetic personal brand.


Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she received a LinkedIn direct message while traveling. A nonprofit organization was looking for their next leader and was she available to talk next week? One conversation turned into another. Soon she was touring their facility, talking international strategy. Before she left the building, she had a job offer in hand.
Here’s how Kimberly attracted that life-changing role—without chasing it down.

Position Yourself as the Go-To Expert in Your Zone of Brilliance
Over several years, Kimberly positioned herself as the person to know in nonprofit fundraising. She didn’t just dabble—she immersed. She:

• Attended trainings and conferences
• Spoke at workshops on nonprofit leadership
• Shared thoughtful commentary on social media
• Showed up with consistent presence in her city’s nonprofit circles
  
  

Kimberly became known—not just as competent, but as a go to resource.
If you want to attract opportunities, you need to be known for something. That starts with getting clear on your strengths, values, and what sets you apart—and then showing up consistently in ways that showcase that brilliance.
Action Steps:
✅ Identify your niche and zone of genius
✅ Clarify your value proposition and messaging
✅ Optimize your LinkedIn, website, or portfolio to reflect your expertise
✅ Ask yourself: How can I show up with confidence and credibility this week?

Share Value Generously to Build Authority and Trust
Kimberly didn’t hoard her expertise. She gave freely. She:

• Volunteered at peers' fundraisers
• Ran women’s leadership conferences
• Connected people to grants, resources, and other experts
• Cheered on her community’s wins
  
  

This is how leaders are made—by lifting others while staying rooted in their own mission.
People are drawn to those who give without agenda. When you share insights, help others shine, and connect dots for your network, you build deep trust. That trust becomes a magnet.
Action Steps:
✅ Create and share content that educates, inspires, or solves problems
✅ Show up as a contributor in online and in-person communities
✅ Volunteer, mentor, or serve on a board
✅ Ask yourself: Where can I give today without expecting anything in return?

Cultivate Strategic Visibility
Kimberly didn’t try to be everywhere—she was in the right rooms. She showed up at:

• Major fundraisers with the city’s movers and shakers
• Chamber of commerce meetings
• Women’s philanthropy groups
• Leadership events where decision-makers gathered
  
  
  

You don’t need to shout on every platform or attend every mixer. You just need to be visible where it matters.
Action Steps:
✅ Identify the platforms, events, or communities aligned with your goals
✅ Put one networking outreach or event on your calendar this week
✅ Explore opportunities to teach, speak, or write in your field
✅ Ask yourself: Where does my audience spend their time—and how can I show up there?

Stay Ready and Trust the Pull, Not the Push
Here’s the final piece of the puzzle: Kimberly stayed committed and had faith, even as income streams came and went over the years. She trusted the timing and stayed focused on relationships and value, and not on frantic searching. When her latest consulting roles began to fizzle, Kimberly didn’t panic. She had built a foundation of visibility, expertise, and trust. So when that direct message landed in her inbox, she was ready. She had also joined my 8-week mental fitness cohort to develop routines that supported confidence and resilience. That inner work helped her show up boldly when it mattered most.
Action Steps:
✅ Make the decision to pivot from scarcity to abundance
✅ Build one habit this week that supports confidence and patience
✅ Stay present, curious, and open to aligned opportunities
✅ Ask yourself: If the right opportunity came tomorrow, would I be ready to say yes?

Kimberly didn’t land this opportunity because she chased it. Over the course of a few years, she slowly built a body of work, a presence, and a reputation that made her the obvious choice when the right opportunity finally arrived.
She attracted it—by showing up as a trusted expert, sharing generously, cultivating the right visibility, and staying rooted in her vision even through hard seasons. You can do this too.

Are you ready to build your own magnetic brand and thriving career path? I help people position themselves as powerhouses in their field so they can attract aligned work, clients, and collaborators—without burning out in the hustle.

Let’s talk about how to build a career that calls in what you truly want. Schedule your complimentary career discovery call today: https://calendly.com/mariadastur/30-minute-exploration-session