Ready To Land Your Dream Career? | DM Me To Get My Linkedin Dream-Job Messaging Guide

“I thought I just needed a Resume and a Linkedin makeover, but after talking to Gonzalo I realized I could live to my full potential. I ended up landing my dream job - if someone questions it works, it works maybe too well”. 

I’m going to start off with an unpopular opinion, but as an industry expert who’s actually gotten results time and time again, it’d be unethical to not mention this.

It seems like this “misunderstanding” is the root of today’s job seekers' problems. Really not their fault either, as:

• Resume “professionals” who never take accountability for results
• Career coaches who’ve never landed their own dream job, so they speak off theory (instead of practical results)

Lead them to think this is all they need, making for an easier sale, but not the truth either.

Anyway, what’s this unpopular opinion?

The fact that a resume won’t be everything you need to land your dream job.

Sure, it can get you past the ATS system, but what after that? Do you think you will stand out doing what everybody else is?

If you really want to stand out as the #1, you have to give them reasons to like you. Few ways you can do that, but from experience, where I did 167 interviews in 4 months - the best way is with…

“Congruent pre-suasion”.

That is, the art of positioning yourself as THE choice before the first interview. I.e. your interview persona matches up with your self-image (more on that later). Subtle things that’ll give you a huge upper hand.

And that’s what brings me here today.

Not going to cover everything now, but so you get a hint of how well this worked, let’s say I went from barely getting an “Intern” job - to landing my dream job as Head of Internal Control of Europe's largest bank.

Don’t think I need to explain what this did for me financially, but one thing people don’t realize, is the “lifestyle design” it brings. Where I am able to travel the world with no fear, as I know I can get a top job whenever I want. 

This has brought so much freedom to my life, that I’ve decided to help others do the same.

Might sound a little exaggerated, I know - but give me 45 minutes and you might see differently.

Worst case scenario, you become aware of a blind spot in your approach before you put too much time and effort into finding a new job.

Best case scenario, you allow me to fix this blind spot - help you get your dream job (and make more money as well).

Sounds fair? A 45-minute strategy session in exchange for a potential lifetime of rewards?

If so, hit “Strategy Call” above, and I’ll be in touch within 24 hours.

-Gonzalo

A client made it to the 4th round of interviews.

Didn't get the offer.

She was devastated.

Three days later, she had a completely different take:

"Making it to round 4 wasn't rejection — it was validation."

Here's what changed:

She stopped asking "Why didn't they pick me?"

And started asking "What does making it this far tell me about where I belong?"

The answer: R&D innovation roles at the intersection of engineering.

That's her sweet spot.

So she did something most people don't do after a "rejection":

→ She researched every company with similar profiles
→ Built a strategic target list
→ Applied with precision instead of desperation

Most people treat rejections as closed doors.

Top performers treat them as data points.

Round 1 rejection = Resume/positioning issue
Round 2 rejection = Skills/experience mismatch
Round 4 rejection = You're in the right arena, just picked the wrong company

When you get close but don't land it, you're not failing.

You're calibrating.

The "rejection" isn't telling you to give up.

It's telling you exactly where to focus next.

She's now targeting companies with the same profile as the one that interviewed her four times. Because if they saw enough in her to invest that much time, others in that space will too.

That's the difference between letting rejection stop you and letting it guide you.

What's a rejection that actually helped you find your direction?

- Gonzalo
#PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerGrowth #Resilience #ProfessionalDevelopment

Gonzalo Hurtado, MBA, MSc

Ready To Land Your Dream Career? | DM Me To Join Career Identity Forge (Free Mini Course)

Yesterday I ran my personal best half marathon.
Not because I was trying to beat anyone else.

Because I've learned something coaching high-level executives through career transitions:

Sustainable performance isn't about sprinting until you burn out.

It's about energy management.

Mile 1: Everyone's flying. Adrenaline is high. The temptation is to match their pace.

Mile 7: Half the field is hurting. They went out too fast.

Mile 10: This is where the race actually starts. Who managed their energy? Who's got something left?

Mile 13: Personal best.

I see the same pattern with my clients:

→ The VP who takes every meeting, answers every Slack, works every weekend — burns out before the promotion.

→ The consultant who says yes to every project — can't scale because there's no energy left to build systems.

→ The executive in final rounds who's so stressed about "performing perfectly" — goes blank in the interview that matters most.

High performance isn't about going harder.

It's about going smarter.

It's knowing when to push, when to pace, and when to trust the training.

My job isn't to get clients to work more hours.

It's to help them work at the right intensity, at the right time, so they can sustain excellence without destroying themselves in the process.

Yesterday's race reminded me:

The people who finish strong aren't the ones who started fastest.

They're the ones who managed their energy all the way through.

What's one way you've learned to manage your energy better in your career?

-Gonzalo
#PersonalBest #PortfolioCareer #PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence

Last Saturday on this rooftop with my wife.
Building a relationship that lasts is hard…

It takes investment. Time. Attention. Presence. 
Not just when it's easy—especially when it's hard.

You show up. You communicate. You grow together.
You invest in the moments that matter.

Your career is no different.

Most people treat their career like a transaction. 
Show up, get paid, go home.

But what if you saw your career as a relationship with your life?

Not a job. Not just income. A relationship.

The same way I invest in this woman—in us—every single day, 
you have to invest in your career.

That means:
• Showing up with intention, not obligation
• Growing your skills, not just collecting paychecks
• Building something meaningful, not just filling time

Because here's the truth: your career IS your life.

The hours you spend. The energy you give. The person you become.

If you're not investing in it the way you invest in what matters most to you—
you're settling.

What would your career look like if you treated it like your most important relationship?

—Gonzalo
#CareerDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #Leadership #Growth #Investment

You don’t lose opportunities because you’re unqualified.

You lose them because you don’t know how to manage the moment.

In this week’s Resume & Outreach Clinic, we didn’t just edit résumés.

We dissected:

• When to follow up (and when to wait) 
• How to respond when asked, “Are you getting traction?” 
• Why sending a thank-you note 10 minutes after an interview can hurt your brand 
• How to navigate political leaders without losing yourself 
• How to create leverage without looking desperate 

Most professionals react.

Elite professionals lead.

In interviews. 
In follow-ups. 
In negotiations. 
In internal politics.

If you’re serious about architecting your career instead of hoping it works out, this one is for you.

👇 Full breakdown below.

-Gonzalo
#CareerStrategy #ExecutiveCoaching #InterviewTips #JobSearchStrategy

This week during our Tuesday Resume and Outreach Clinic, something powerful happened. Not because someone got an offer (which he did). Not because som

The Strategic Advantage: Timing, Leverage, and Executive Presence in Your Job Search

"I was self-doubting myself a lot. What was the path I needed to take? Should I focus on my consulting practice or get a permanent job? I didn't know if I could do both. Then you helped me understand my capabilities, my fears — and that I could compartmentalize. I could do BOTH."

That's Judith.

When she joined the program, she was lost.

Doubting herself.

Stuck between two paths — unable to choose.

**Two months later?**

→ Two job offers (she got to CHOOSE her employer)
→ A consulting project in Dubai teaching women's leadership
→ Another opportunity brewing in the background

**What changed everything:**

It wasn't just tactics.

It was clarity.

*"I needed some guidance. I needed some clarity. And you provided those when I most needed it."*

Judith learned:
- How to project her CV with power
- How to reach her network authentically
- How to present herself on LinkedIn
- How to stay truthful to herself through it all

**But here's the breakthrough moment:**

I told her: "Don't come into this from a transactional perspective. See what you can get, but also BRING VALUE."

She flipped the switch.

She started contributing to the community.

People started looking up to her.

Taking her advice.

And suddenly? Week 4: First offer. Week 5: Second offer.

The consulting project? That came even earlier.

**The real transformation:**

*"I feel very good with myself now because I got to a personal maturity. I know my capabilities. I know where I need to stretch myself and where I need to be patient."*

Judith thrives when she's being helpful.

When she knows her input makes people's lives easier.

When she's having FUN in the process.

**And that Dubai project?**

It's not just women's leadership.

It's women's leadership in the Middle East.

She's not following a playbook — she's being a SPEARHEAD.

In a region that desperately needs this.

In a genuine, congruent way.

That's what makes it powerful.

**What's next:**

Judith built a portfolio career.

She's working at an amazing company.

Running consulting projects internationally.

And she's just getting started.

*"This is not just one goal. It's relationships that we continue having and being careful with each other. I value that."*

---

If you're stuck between two paths and don't know which to choose...

If you're self-doubting whether you can do it all...

If you're ready to discover you don't have to choose — you can build a portfolio career doing BOTH...

**This is where it starts.**

Book a Strategy Call with me below. ⬇️

-Gonzalo

#CareerTransformation #PortfolioCareer #ConsultingCareer #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerCoaching 
---

P.S. Judith stays active in our community — mentoring others, building relationships, contributing value. Because when you master this? You can't help but give back. This is just the beginning. 🚀

*"There's always room to grow. There's always the next challenge forward. I didn't just apply that in my career — I applied it to my health, my personal life. The car? The triathlon? Those are just byproducts."*

That's Soham.

Two years ago, he was running 3Ks.

Today? He's training for triathlons.

And calling half marathons "just running." 🏃‍♂️

**But here's what really changed:**

6 weeks into his new engineering role, they put him in charge of a new program.

His title? "Just an engineer."

How they treat him? Senior Project Engineer.

Why?

Because people can **feel** the quality. The standards. The moral authority.

**Soham's secret:**

*"Training for the triathlon trained me to be resilient. To take workplace challenges and think: how can I get stronger from this?"*

While others get burned out by culture or workload...

Soham gets **stronger**.

He operates from opportunity and growth — not fear or scarcity.

*"I set standards so that when I grow, the company grows with me."*

**Here's what I'm most proud of:**

Soham kept his core humility.

That's what makes the difference between success and *sustainable* success.

When you grow, the company grows with you.

When you set standards for yourself, others feel it — without you saying a word.

-Gonzalo
#CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership #Resilience  #EngineeringCareers
---

If you're stuck running the same race...

Ask yourself: *What's my next triathlon?*

Not just in fitness. In your career. In how you show up.

**You don't need to do this alone.**

Schedule a Strategy Call with me below. ⬇️

---

P.S. This is just the beginning for Soham. And I can't wait to do a 70.3 triathlon with him. When you master growth? It becomes your lifestyle. 🚀

"I thought I was just joining the program to make sure my resume was good and to get a job. That was actually like 10% of what happened. I learned so much about myself. I learned so much about the professional world. I didn't even realize how much I didn't know."

That's CJ.

He came in thinking his resume was solid.

*"Oh, this guy's gonna love my resume."*

**It got sliced and diced.**

Torn apart. Butcher shop. 🥩

(His words, not mine.)

**But here's what really happened:**

CJ went through an emotional roller coaster.

Not because the program was hard.

Because he was going through SO much outside of just looking for a job.

He didn't realize what he was signing up for.

*"I thought it would just be resume + job. But I learned about making connections, LinkedIn, utilizing resources, things I never knew existed in job hunting."*

**The breakthrough:**

Even on days when he was exhausted...

When he just wanted to go home and sleep...

He showed up. He put in the effort.

And it paid off.

**Today?**

→ Good-paying job in a nicer area
→ Relocated to a new state  
→ 10,000 times happier than before

*"I don't think I would have had the confidence to go after a position like this in another state without the help from everybody and all the things I learned."*

**What changed:**

It wasn't just tactics.

It was peeling back the layers.

Breaking through the walls.

Discovering who he really is.

Learning what he was actually capable of.

*"Now I know what a real resume is. I didn't even know about ATS systems."*

That's the difference between thinking you know...

And actually knowing.

**The beauty of CJ's journey:**

He did it at his own pace. His own time. His own way.

And now? This is just the stepping stone.

The hardest one is done.

The next ones? Super easy.

---

If you think your resume is solid but you're not getting results...

If you're going through a tough time and need more than just job search tactics...

If you're ready to discover what you don't even know you don't know...

**This is where it starts.**

Drop me a DM or comment "READY" below. ⬇️

Marry the process. Divorce the outcome.

-Gonzalo
#CareerStrategy #JobSearch #PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerGrowth

---

P.S. CJ is 10,000 times happier. New state. New job. New life. And this? This is just the beginning. 🚀

Most professionals don’t lose leverage because of a skills gap.

They lose leverage because of an identity gap.

In a recent strategy session, we saw it clearly.

Highly capable professionals — decades of experience, deep expertise — describing themselves as if they had just started.

A 30-year leader pricing herself like a junior contributor.

A consultant landing her first client… and almost minimizing the win.

I call this the silent downgrade.

It happens when your environment changes.

Corporate → consulting  
Stable role → entrepreneurial leap  
Industry expertise → new positioning

The structure disappears.

And if you’re not careful, your self-image shrinks with it.

You start selling tasks instead of outcomes.  
Services instead of transformation.  
Hours instead of judgment.

But the market doesn’t reward modest positioning.

It rewards clarity.

Clarity about:

• The problems you uniquely solve  
• The transformation you create  
• The experience you bring into the room  

The biggest mistake high performers make is this:
They outgrow their circumstances…

…but not their self-image.

If you’re navigating a transition — consulting, leadership moves, industry pivots — the work is not just tactical.

It’s strategic identity work.

👇 Full breakdown in the article below.

-Gonzalo

In a recent live session, I joined a few minutes late. The team was already deep in conversation. No slides. No rehearsed positioning. Just profession

Stop Selling the Smaller Version of Yourself.

"The Coffee Chat That Wasn't"—Decisions Happen in Shorts

Most people think hiring decisions happen in formal interview rooms with panel questions and structured rubrics.

They don't.

Jennifer thought she was going for an informal coffee chat. It turned into a 2-hour hiring decision—and she almost wasn't ready.

---

Tuesday's call. Jennifer shares:

"I had this really informal meeting about a forensic chemistry lab position. Super casual. We just talked for 2 hours."

Midway through the conversation, the manager FaceTimed the scientific consultant. Started using "WE" language. "My vision is WE will do this together."

Then the kicker: "Not many candidates have your relevant experience."

Jennifer thought it was a coffee chat. It was the interview.

---

Here's what most people miss:

Decisions aren't made in conference rooms with six-panel interviews. They're made in "informal conversations" while walking through facilities. In "quick chats" that run long. In moments that feel casual but aren't.

The manager offered to give Jennifer a tour of the new lab space—without being asked.

Red flag or green flag? 

Green flag. She was already selling Jenna on the opportunity.

---

The framework we teach:

- Day 1: Interview (they forget a little)
- Day 3: Email with scanned handwritten thank you note ("Different. Unique. Exceptional.")
- Day 3-4: Mail physical note
- Day 5-6: Physical note arrives—they recall you again

Multiple mental touch points. Different formats. Strategic spacing.

---

The lesson: 

Don't be confused when an interview turns into a conversation through perceived informality. Decisions are made in certain moments. We just don't know when.

Always be prepared—even for "coffee chats." Especially for coffee chats.

What "informal conversation" in your career turned out to be way more important than you realized at the time?

-Gonzalo
#CareerStrategy #InterviewPreparation #PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #JobSearch

Most people don’t “fail” interviews.

They leak leverage in the small moments:

Timing
Tone
Energy
Follow-up
Presence

In today’s cohort, we didn’t just talk about job searching.

We trained executive behavior:

• How to create opportunities that don’t exist yet
• Why “reposted jobs” don’t mean you were ignored
• How to build culture-reading skills before you join
• How to activate your network without sounding transactional
• The one thing that separates high performers: sustained energy

The market doesn’t reward effort.

It rewards intention.

👇 Full breakdown below.

Most professionals think they’re having an identity crisis when their career feels uncertain.

In reality, the problem is usually positioning.

In a recent cohort session, a professional said exactly that — she felt stuck between multiple directions.

But when we unpacked it, the issue wasn’t confusion.

She had built a career across strategy, operations, and cross-functional leadership.

The challenge wasn’t identity.

It was translating that range into a clear market position.

The market rewards clarity.

Not because your capabilities are limited — but because decision-makers need a simple narrative to understand your value.

Careers rarely move forward through perfect planning.

They move forward through conversations, exploration, and refining your positioning in the market.

👇Full article below.

-Gonzalo

#CareerStrategy #ExecutiveCareers #LeadershipDevelopment #JobSearchStrategy #CareerGrowth

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