Some people just seem to have all the luck in life and work. When you ask them how they got to where they are now their story will be full of right place, right time situations and lucky breaks. Perhaps in comparison your own story feels like a bit of an uphill battle. Studying hard, getting the right qualifications and putting in the hours at work, waiting for someone to notice. It can be disheartening to see others achieving success simply through ‘knowing the right person’ or ‘falling into their dream job.’ So, when it comes to career success are some people just lucky or do you create your own luck?
Of course, it’s a bit of both.
Take, for instance, my current employment in the careers industry. I came in on a casual contract but was fortunate enough to be in the organisation when somebody else went on maternity leave and that role was given to me. Now you could say that I have been lucky, I certainly feel lucky, but I played a part in creating that luck. How? Well eight months prior to all of this I was having a chat with a friend who told me that she did work with my now employer, so I jumped on that information and asked her if she could introduce me to anyone there. A month later and she had forgotten so I reminded her. Another month after that I got my introduction and had a meeting with someone in the team. That person then introduced me to my now manager. We had a chat too. I continued to follow up. Long story short, in the end that led to an opportunity. Yes, I was lucky, but this would luck would not have come about, had it not been for my earlier groundwork.
Plan for luck
I hear stories like mine a lot and it demonstrates the importance of planning for luck to happen. Hang on a minute … how you can plan for luck? Well, partly it’s about being ready in a practical sense. Having a full grasp of your skills and being able to talk about them in case the hiring manager of your dream organisation is sitting next to you on your next flight. Having your CV ready and keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date. Knowing what you want out of your career, and life, so you don’t waste time chasing opportunities that don’t fit.
Also, it’s about having a mindset that is ready for luck. A mindset that is prepared to jump on a potential career opportunity and see where it might take you. A mindset that is curious about work and people that leads you to ask questions of others, even if the exchange won’t necessarily lead to a job.
In a way, the practical steps are easier to grasp. But developing a mindset of curiosity and calculated risk-taking, well that can be trickier, especially if you’re someone who likes to have it all mapped out. You can begin by taking small calculated risks or saying yes to low investment opportunities, such as going to an event to find out about an industry you’re interested in or contacting someone who is doing a job you’d like to know more about. Once you start flexing your curiosity and risk-taking muscles, you’ll see that your mindset will gradually begin to shift. You’ll realise you don’t need to have all the answers.
If you want some help creating your own career luck, then contact me for a FREE career change consultation. 30 minutes to discuss what you want out of your career and life and come up with some practical steps to take you there. Click here to book in.