At this point a fair number of our visitors to LSE Careers fall into two distinct groups – those of you whose well-organised job hunt has not quite gone according to plan and find yourselves back to the drawing board, and those who are just starting to think it might be a good idea to start thinking about post-university life.
For many, the ‘right’ advice seems obvious. Take a step back to reflect on skills, values, and expectations. Consider what has been learned through past experiences. Research ideas, visit the careers service and prepare a logical plan of action that will lead you towards your newly clearly-established or redefined goals. For the ‘natural’ planners among us, this might indeed be the best approach.
Some of you, however, might be interested in an alternative way of thinking which allows you to move forward more flexibly and which, it can be argued, reflects rather more accurately a world where we really can’t guarantee that A will necessarily lead to B and then C. Indeed, the reality is that most people’s careers take unexpected twists and turns along the way. Furthermore, high achievers will often stress the importance to their career success of having a certain focus while always remaining open to the unplanned or unexpected.
A theory of career which reflects this method was put forward by Professor John Krumboltz of Stanford University. The essential point is that actually, rather than developing a very rigid idea of what you want to achieve and how to get there, you can work with some vague ideas, do some generally positive things in broadly the right direction and still have confidence that in doing so, things will happen. Planned Happenstance suggests that even if you don’t know exactly where your actions will lead, just by being active and doing the right kinds of things, great things can and will happen. This approach is probably particularly relevant to careers which traditionally rely on us to create our own opportunities – media, creative industries, charities, political organisations to name but a few – but actually, happenstance does play some role in most people’s career path.
The four core steps to this approach (developed by Mitchell, Krumboltz and Levin) are:
  • clarify ideas: follow your curiosity and identify your interests
  • remove the blocks: wonder “how can I” rather than “I can’t because…”
  • expect the unexpected: be prepared for chance opportunities, such as unexpected phone calls, chance encounters, impromptu conversations and new experiences
  • take action: learn, develop skills, remain open and follow up on chance events
The theory relies on certain characteristics: curiosity, to explore learning opportunities; persistence, to deal with obstacles; flexibility, to address a variety of circumstances and events; and optimism, to maximise benefits from unplanned events. So if you recognise yourself in any of this, and believe you can turn chance encounters and events into career opportunities, it could be time to have a go!
If you want to look into this further, you might be interested in the following:
  • The Unplanned Career: How to Turn Curiosity into opportunity – Kathleen Mitchell
  • Luck is no Accident: Making the most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career – Al Levin and John Krumboltz'




'There is another approach to finding the right job. Planned happenstance is the idea that you actively seek out and explore new career ideas and pursue interesting things that arise. Using this approach calls on the following personal qualities:
  • Curiosity: Explore new opportunities – Get on Twitter, talk to people, go to events, say “yes” to new experiences, research, explore the “unknown”
  • Persistence: Exert effort despite setbacks
  • Flexibility: Be ready to change your attitude/mindset when new information/opportunity arises
  • Optimism: View new opportunities as possible and attainable
  • Risk-taking: Take action in the face of uncertain outcomes.
Planned happenstance is not sitting at home waiting for inspiration to hit!
Here are some practical actions you could take:
  • Meet new people. Become a keen networker.
  • Do new things. Join clubs, societies, voluntary work, interests.
  • Take an interest in the new (or investigate the very old!)
  • Take calculated risks
  • Learn about yourself. Build new skills which might lead to new opportunities.
  • Learn about the world: What’s happening in technology? Industry? Society?
  • Make connections between areas of interest.
  • Be optimistic. Look for the silver-lining (“If I hadn’t lost my job I would never have written my book!”)
  • Expose yourself to different viewpoints: Study abroad, read papers you think you’ll disagree with, explore Twitter and similar platforms…'