How to Increase Your Career Luck

On this blog, we’ve shared a few posts about luck, including “What Luck Really Looks Like”  and “What’s Luck Got to Do With It”. We’ve talked about luck because, of course, it plays a part in a career. But, there are also ways you can increase the amount of ‘luck’ you get. The more action-oriented you are, the more likely that you will inadvertently create opportunities for yourself.

Take as an example, a postdoc who cold emailed three new people a week for the last three months. She set an aggressive goal for herself which took her out of her comfort zone. But she did it! And in the process, she has found a new career mentor, got invited to collaborate on a project, and has spoken to somebody in industry who said they’d be willing to refer her to a job.

This is a good example of increasing your luck surface area.  Do things – even if you don’t see the clear connection now. Being action-oriented today helps increase new opportunities tomorrow. Your future lucky self will thank you!