Hi Nie!

I had looked everywhere, but I couldn't find the stupid juggling ball.

Some friends came to stay with me for a weekend, and that meant their three kids—all six and under—were the queen and kings of the castle for the weekend.

I had three juggling balls—red, green, and yellow–that they liked to throw around the house when the adults weren't looking. They didn't break anything, which was nice, but they did manage to lose the red one before they left.

I looked high and low, in all the places my pint-sized visitors had been that weekend, but I couldn't find that stupid ball.

Weeks went by and I looked again—under the couches, in the yard, in the guest room, in the office—and it was nowhere to be found.

I needed to know where that red ball was because the set wasn't complete without it, but it seemed like a lost cause.

I had all but given up when I had a random thought: What if it's under my dresser? It was the one place I hadn't looked because why in the world would it end up under my dresser? But kids are crafty so I figured it was worth a shot.

Sure enough, there it was, next to the wall under my dresser. I have no idea how it got there. But once I found it, I thought, "Duh. I wouldn't have put it there, but I can't think like a three-year old so what do I know?"

The best career opportunities are in unusual places

Believe it or not, this is a common problem I see with career management. People think a lot about their "next move" and they look in the obvious places like the next job in their career path, openings in their department, or other similar jobs at similar companies.

But the best opportunities are often in places you might not expect. A former colleague may have moved to a startup where they could use your skills in an unusual way. Or maybe your boss has a special project in mind, but can't find the bandwidth to get it going.

The best way to find out about these opportunities is pretty easy: just ask!

"So what are you up to these days?"

Most of the time, the answer will be, "Same old, same old.", but sometimes they'll say, "You know, I was just thinking about you the other day..."

This week, try to think of one person in your professional network who you haven't heard from in a while. Reach out to get coffee and ask them what they're up to. Their answer might surprise you.

All the best

Josh