Creating opportunities by staying true to yourself

Let’s be honest—talking about what you do can feel weird. Especially when you’re looking for a job or trying to grow your network. You don’t want to come across as desperate, but you also want to make a connection. So how do you strike the balance?

That’s what we explored in a recent session with Joppe Quaedvlieg. It turned out to be one of those conversations that makes you rethink the way you introduce yourself, start networking, and even write your LinkedIn summary.

Spoiler: It’s simpler (and more human) than you might think.

Listen to the episode on Spotify.

Here’s a deeper recap of the powerful and practical advice Pete shared.

We often start in the wrong place

Most of us start with what we’ve done, listing job titles or skills. But that doesn’t really make an impact. It’s like reading a CV out loud - useful, but not very memorable.

Instead, we practiced flipping the script. Start with:

• What you care about
• Why you do the work you do
• How you help solve real problems
• What the result is for the company or team

For example, instead of saying “I work in HR,” you might say:

“I care deeply about people feeling valued at work. I’ve seen what happens when they’re not, and I want to change that. I use data and feedback to improve employee experience so people feel seen and supported from day one.”

Now we’re talking.

Don’t ask for a job. Ask for a conversation.

One of the most powerful shifts in the session was about what kind of request to make after sharing your story. The default is to say something like “I’m looking for opportunities” or “Let me know if you hear of anything.” But that can put pressure on the other person and shut down the conversation.

Instead, ask for something smaller and more meaningful:

• “Would you be open to a short coffee chat?”
• “I’d love to hear how your company approaches this.”
• “Is there someone on your team I could learn more from?”

When you do this, you're not asking for a job—you’re inviting someone into a conversation. And most people are far more willing to say yes to that.

What if I don’t know what their company needs?

This came up too, and it’s a great question. If all you have is a job ad or a company website, how do you figure out what they really care about?

Joppe’s advice was: make an educated guess and test it.

Every company cares about some version of the same things—saving money, improving performance, keeping people happy, growing sustainably. If they mention values like innovation or wellbeing, start there.

Try something like:

“I noticed your company puts a big focus on sustainability—could you share what that looks like in practice?”

Even if you’re slightly off, the person will correct you. And now you’ve got a real dialogue.

Networking doesn’t have to feel like cold outreach

Many people in the room admitted that networking feels uncomfortable, especially in a new country or culture. But by the end of the session, it became clear that a warm, human story goes a long way.

If you lead with curiosity instead of asking for favors, you’re more likely to make real connections—and open real doors.

It’s not about collecting contacts. It’s about having a few meaningful conversations that slowly build up over time. A coffee here, a message there. If one conversation leads to a new introduction or a fresh idea, that’s already progress.

One small story can go a long way

So here’s the big takeaway: if you can craft one clear, honest story about what drives you and how you work, you can use it everywhere—networking events, LinkedIn, DMs, coffee chats, even cover letters.

When someone asks, “So, what do you do?”
You’ll have something real to say. Something that connects.

And that’s how opportunities begin.

About Joppe

Joppe has lived and worked in Finland now for more than 10 years, is part of a local art community and organises the community event Help Me Help You. He has worked as a recruiter, Chief of happiness, and career counselor and done countless workshops on networking for opportunities for both foreigners as well as for Fins. Now he has his own company called Artiqula where he helps companies to locate and re-engage disengaged employees.