Getting Lucky

There is a significant amount of luck involved with career progression. I've been a luck box my whole career. My high school track coach connected me with my first internship before I even knew what an internship was. My boss at my internship connected me with my first real job (I was looking at some fake jobs during my search, Jackie Boesinger saved the day for me). I was lucky enough for my first real job to be at a Fortune 500 company. I was lucky enough to not get restructured out when plenty people in my department did. I was lucky enough to be in a place that gave me the opportunity to switch careers. Since I got into this new career (human resources) the luck train has accelerated down the track.

We have to be prepared to take advantage of luck when it strikes. The more that we continuously upgrade our skillset, the more likely we are going to be ready to contribute to the next innovative project our organization will do.

We also have the opportunity to make ourselves luckier. The more people that we have solid relationships with, the better the chance that great opportunities will be brought to our attention, so go ahead and strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Volunteers get all the luck in the world. They step in to fill a gap helping others, then all types of doors open that they didn't envision. So go ahead and help that nonprofit you care about. It will benefit you more than you could imagine.

I've also been very lucky to not get get derailed by some of my poor decisions. I did a few things in college that most likely would have got me kicked out had I been caught. You probably wouldn't be reading this right now had that been the case. So while it's great to celebrate where luck brings us opportunities, it's also important to acknowledge when luck shields us from well-deserved consequences.

Luck plays a vital role in career advancement. Do the work on your end to make yourself a bit luckier.