The term luck has its place. There's luck involved in winning a game of bingo. Buying one card with which to play is fine, except that by buying two cards you increase your odds of winning. Four cards give you better odds of winning than two cards, and so on. I don't believe in luck when it comes to finding a better job. Improving your odds is another matter. People who send a resume to various firms seeking their particular skills and knowledge have 100 percent better chance than a similarly skilled and knowledgeable person who applies only to one firm.
Successful men and women create their own luck.
Here's one person's story that brings home the point; and is worthy of analyzing:
A friend of a friend of mine, a woman, had entered the work force about ten years ago, after having brought up her children and having been divorced. Her education had been strong in writing and journalism, so she sought out and got a job with a local newspaper. It didn't pay much, but she attacked it as though she were working for the Wall Street Journal, and being paid big money. At the same time, she networked with everyone with whom she came into contact and began doing free-lance writing side by side. This broadened her circle of professional contacts, each of whom saw that she was a hard worker, well-skilled at her craft, was open to new opportunities, and was determined to make full use of her potential.
A successful local company was looking for a director of public relations. One of her circle of contacts who knew about the opening, called her, and asked if she would be interested in applying for the job. She applied and was hired. At the same time, she expanded her free-lance activities (always on her own time, of course), and her professional circle of advocates continued to grow, which meant even more people who were impressed with her abilities and approach.
Five years later, one of these professional associates died and informed her that a major company was seeking a director of public relations, with the promise of becoming a vice-president within a year. Here's where I came in.
Because this woman had read some of the books and columns I've written on career success (her access to them basically came through my friend, with whom I'd had a working relationship for a number of years), she dug into them again in search of the right steps to take in pursuing this plum of a job, for which there were many qualified candidates.
She'd put into motion a few years ago the first step she was to take, which was to look into the file she'd kept in herself over the past five years. I've always advocated the keeping of a "personal personnel file," in which your achievements on the job, major contributions to the company, ideas that worked, and other things like that are plotted and saved. By doing this, she was able to quickly identify items that should be included on her updated resume.
She took care to follow the basic rules for preparing an effective resume, and made sure it was error-free by having more than one set of eyes proofread it.
Instead of simply mailing her resume and cover letter, she sent them by Federal Express, even though the company to which she was applying was only thirty miles away. She wouldn't have gone to this trouble and expense if she had been applying to many firms, but this was a job she wanted and knew she was highly qualified for. By using an air courier, she ensured that the people on the receiving end would know she was applying, and headed off any chance of "It must have been lost in the mail room" excuses being given for not receiving it. She had already caused herself to stand out from the other candidates.
She followed up a few days later with a phone call, in which she confirmed that she was indeed extremely interested in the position.
She prepared for her initial interview with great care. She rehearsed her answers to probable questions, knew exactly the selling points about herself. She spent time in the library learning everything she could about the company and its top people.
She arrived very early for the interview, and used the time to sip a leisurely cup of coffee in a nearby coffee shop, rather than running the risk of being late because of heavy traffic or trouble in finding the company's location.
The interview went well. She returned home and wrote a brief note to the man who'd interviewed her thanking him for his time and courtesy, and indicating that she was now even more enthusiastic about the job.
She let a few days go by before sending him a second note. This time, rather than simply writing another thank-you letter, she used the note to bring up something about herself that had not been discussed in the interview but that she thought might be of interest to him.
She was called in for a second interview. Things were looking good, but there were still a number of finalists.
Again she allowed a few days to pass, during which she looked for something in a newspaper or a trade journal that her potential boss might not have seen but would be of interest. She found it and mailed it off. She had been asked during the second interview to provide five references. Instead of coming up with them on the spot, she'd said she would send them in the next day, after she had a chance to call each one, out of courtesy. She prepared the list, called those on it, and had it messengered it the following morning, again not trusting it to the postal system. Of course, she knew that the five people she'd selected would say positive things about her-not because they were friends, but because they didn't have a reason to say anything negative. She also knew that, should the company seek its own references, she had nothing to fear. Her resume was scrupulously honest-no overstating of responsibilities, no gaps to cover up, no skeletons in her closet. She'd presented herself, both on paper and in person, with total honesty, aIways putting her best foot forward, of course, but without unnecessary embellishment.
She was called again and asked when she could start: she was hired. It was down to two people now, this woman and one other person. She said she would like to give her present employer a month's notice, out of fairness and the need to help train a new person. That might be a problem, she was told. There was a major project to be written. They'd need to get started on it in less than a month. Her answer: if she was hired, she would use weekends and nights to work on the project while still with her present employer.
That did it. She was hired.
Now, think of all the "luck", this woman was the recipient of. I can hear the comments from those job seekers who trust to luck.
"She knew somebody. She had an 'in.'"
Of course she knew somebody. She'd worked hard at knowing people in her professional sphere, people who knew of opportunities and might pass them along to her. It wasn't a calculated meeting of people who could do something for her, however. Many of these professional associates had become friends. By keeping in contact with them, she enhanced her knowledge of the field and kept up with changes in it. Yes, she knew someone, but it wasn't luck that she did. Far from it.
This woman took the time and effort to learn everything she could that would enhance the chances of being hired for that coveted job.
No, I don't put any stock in luck when it comes to landing a better job. I much prefer to speak of odds than luck.
The woman in my example did everything possible to cut down the odds against her and move the advantage to her side. This is crucial for anyone seeking a better job these days.
As I said before, companies are more reluctant than ever to hire smokers, because some bosses will not allow smokers in their department. People who don't smoke naturally improve their odds in today's job market-perhaps only slightly, but enough to be worthwhile. Heavy drinking, too, is definitely out. Those who insist upon following the old style cut their odds of being successful.
Learn from losers. It has always been a known fact that while studying and emulating successful people has great value for men and women looking to succeed, there actually is more to be learned from those who failed. We know people who just never seem to get anywhere, never find the sort of success they want. Often we say these people have bad luck, but we also know that luck can't be the only reason. Take a close look at them; analyze the way they go about things, the approach they take, the attitudes they exhibit. The flaws and weaknesses are usually apparent. By vowing to keep those negatives out of our lives, we've taken a positive step in improving our odds.
Success doesn't stem from luck. The dictionary definition of luck is: "the seemingly chance happening of events which affect one."
Success isn't a chance happening. It's the result of hard work, long-term career planning, and the decision to strike luck from the job seeker's vocabulary.
Reminders about "Luck"
- If luck seems to have played a role in people finding a better job, it's because they worked hard to create their "good luck."
- Work hard at whatever job you currently have. "Lucky" people always work hard.
- Network, network, network.
- Learn how to look for a better job.
- Keep your own personal personnel file.
- Prepare your resume with care.
- Send your resume by messenger or air courier if it's a job you really want and you match its specs.
- Follow up. Send a thank-you note. Stay in touch.
- Be honest on your resume and in what you say during the interview.
- Choose your references carefully, and obtain the permission.
- Be willing to begin your new job part time, and without pay, if necessary. Do everything you can to improve your odds, but eliminate luck from your vocabulary.
