On Halloween of last year, I released an e-book on how to land your dream job. It was a side project that crossed my mind that summer. In the fall I finally took action and, in short order, released the e-book on my blog. Earlier in my career, I did a fantastic job of writing off the power, nay, the necessity of networking in the 21st century job market. I quickly reverted this unproductive mindset during my MBA program at the Gustavson School of Business. The program did a great job of placing emphasis on networking. Not only that, the school offered a wealth of connections for students to tap into. This gave me the opportunity to connect with a number of professionals in my field of interest – consulting. By hustling, and proving myself through the interview process, I landed by dream internship at the Victoria office of a prominent accounting and advisory firm.

After my degree, I accepted a position in the financial services sector as a Business Analyst Lead. It was then that I decided I wanted to share my career journey and to help others with their career paths. By writing an e-book on networking, I connected with others who were establishing their careers. It was a good feeling to help others. What happened next I did not anticipate at all. I was contacted by someone from my alumni network who I previously met after I had secured my first post-MBA job. My blog caught his attention and he asked if I had any materials on mentoring frameworks. I provided what I could, and in his reply he mentioned an opening where he worked – at a Big 4 consulting firm. I always had aspirations to become a senior consultant at a Big 4 firm after graduation and this helped put my name on the firm’s radar. While I was more than satisfied with my then current role in industry, this was my dream job and it was an opportunity I could not pass up.

I went through a rigorous four rounds of interviews that included being interviewed by partners, a director and senior managers. After I received an offer, I was elated and proud of myself. I reached a very big career milestone that I had set out to achieve. A milestone I had essentially left in the rear view mirror previously, as I was happy working in industry and knew that transitioning back to the consulting world is often challenging. And I did it!

While I always believed in the power of networking, I did not anticipate that my e-book would be a vehicle for that. My intention was helping others make an impact in their careers and achieving a milestone of my own by releasing an e-book. The ripple effect in elevating my career to the next level was not an expectation. By helping others land their dream job, I landed my dream job in the process. And I’m very grateful for that.

The best part of this story is that this is something any driven professional can achieve by taking a different approach to the same goal.

Here are four ways for you to get going right away:

1. Get a .com domain name

This is paramount. You should either use a .com url extension or one dedicated to your country (e.g. ".ca" for Canada). While registering a domain name comes with a cost, it is the best investment you can make to promote your brand. If your name as a domain is not available as a .com or for your country's extension, be creative to find a domain name that is available. You could use your middle initial or put your designation at the end of the domain name. If you do not have a registered domain name and opt to go with a free domain name, this will represent your brand. Consciously or unconsciously, your credibility could be questioned by readers and potential employers. Be official and make that a priority.

2. Use an easy website development platform to create your site

Unless you have a background in HTML and JavaScript, this is a no brainer. There are a host of website development platforms that allow you to quickly and fairly intuitively create a professional quality website. Mine took about one afternoon to create. I used Square Space to create my website. Two other prominent platforms are WordPress and Wix. Take a look at these and decide which one works best for you.

3. Get the word out

The beauty of using a website development platform to create your site is that it seamlessly allows you to push your content out to social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. This will allow you to develop a following right off the bat, even if it is just your inner circle. Having your posts and insights on social media feeds will keep people in the know when you publish something new. It also gives them quick access to the content without having to check your website on their own.

4. Focus on giving

You likely have a lot of insights to offer in your field of expertise. Even when you are still trying to determine what that field is, your discovery process is in itself valuable for others to hear while forging their own paths. The world has a way of reciprocating back what you give to it. So be outcome independent and good things will happen for you. Look at things through a lens of abundance, where prosperity and knowledge should be shared rather than hoarded, and you will lead a life of abundance.

So I hope this story inspires you to start a blog or releasing an e-book (or both!). Aim high. This is a great way of getting you that much closer to your dream job. It showcases who you are to employers and establishes your brand beyond the confines of LinkedIn.

So what are you waiting for?

Do you have questions about how to start a blog or write an e-book? See how I did it with my free e-book on Landing Your Dream Job and leave a comment below – I will answer as many questions that you have for me. I’m ready, are you?