We both know what happens when you don't ask for something or decide to stand in the shadows. The answer will always be no, and you will almost always be overlooked and ignored. Advancing your career begins with you showcasing your value and getting more people to recognize what you offer. Any promising potential you possess will undoubtedly open new doors too. The math is simple: more visibility, especially online, means more opportunities. It's a tale as old as the Internet and a proven method that works.  

 It's hard to keep anything that's great a secret. A new romantic partner who meets all your wants and needs, finding an elegant smelling cologne or perfume that lasts all day, or sticking to your diet and workout plan despite every temptation thrown your way are all excellent wins we know to share. Maintain this energy to highlight positive, feel-good happenings in your world and apply them to your professional life. Athletes know this practice well. LeBron James is arguably the best active NBA player going into his 20th season, and even the most non-sports people know who he is. They can tell you something about #6 (formally #23), the current Laker and kid from Akron. The point is that although LeBron's brand is at a premier level of recognition, he is not shy about relishing in his accomplishments and continues to share his highlights and stats on his social pages. It's a remarkable marketing strategy that's landed him big-time endorsements from Nike, AT&T, and Coca-Cola. Outside of being an athlete, this basketball player is also a billionaire businessman. Add a media production company, a pizza restaurant chain, and a couple of sports clubs/franchises to the business ventures LeBron continues to explore. Coming into this type of success and net worth is not an accident. It's all by design. LeBron uses his celebrity, basketball resume, and access to enter exclusively into those rooms.  

 We'll leave the basketball to the once-in-a-generation talent that LeBron is. However, you can mimic his off-the-court hustle. Showcasing that you're an expert at what you do, passionate, likable, and willing to revolutionize your skills are traits that are hard for others to ignore, especially recruiters in this job market. As the possibility of a recession lingers for some, like the adult version of the Boogie Man, research shows that 57% of workers want to find better stability with a new job. Set yourself up now to stand out of that crowd with cnect. Many have bullet points on paper that they eagerly want to show off to highlight their experiences. With cnect, you can be boldly different, receive higher interest, and continue to draw the right people towards you by establishing yourself as a powerhouse brand in your line of work, omitting boring bullet points. It's your way to capitalize on the exposure we talked about earlier. Your cnect profile is practically your business card. Don't you dare say, "Well, I don't have or own a business," -- your brand is your business (remember, we're mimicking LeBron's mindset). There's a reason why the ancient proverb, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," exists. The more you create name recognition, the more chances of golden offers striking you. Please, think again if you believe it's obnoxious to promote yourself because you're not a famous athlete. Forming the grander life and career your heart is set on is based on these successfully tested tactics. Take mommy bloggers and YouTube creators, they're more like us, and they're fleshing out content consistently aligning with their brand and purpose to keep necessary traction. You don't have to wait until the economy declines to make moves; taking and implementing this advice can elevate you now. Life has a funny way of throwing unsolicited opportunities in our laps. Stay ready, so you don't have to get ready, friends.  

 Use cnect's built-in teleprompter to help you record your First Impression Video for maximum effect. For the rebels out there, freestyling works just fine too! The relaxing part about this is that you can record however many takes you need until you're happy with your video. Start with a greeting, explain the journey you've been on, your talents, accomplishments (both big and small because they equally matter), what you like to do off the clock, and what you want most out of your career. Take your time and speak from the heart. Share your cnect profile on your socials or convert it to a PDF and send it through email or text to the people who support you most. Using a free self-marketing platform like cnect is the fairy godmother for your career because most loathe the idea of resumes, and it represents a version of you that you want people with the hiring power to see. Check out this video of other professionals and hiring managers raving about cnect if you need more convincing.