How Embracing ‘Planned Happenstance’ Could Lead to Your Dream Career

Career development is part choice, and a lot of chance. Photo by Unsplash.

Career paths are no longer linear or logical, and most people will face a lifetime of job changes. Even our best-laid plans can evaporate with one corporate restructuring, or a new administration. To thrive in today’s uncertain world of work, we need to do more than plan ahead—we need to plan for the unplanned.

My Unexpected Career Path

At the wise age of 17, I thought I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  On a tour of the journalism school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I was captivated. As the speaker shared stories about the glamorous careers their alumni held—at national broadcast studios, at glossy magazines in New York City, and at newspapers across the country—my heartbeat quickened. I knew right then that I wanted to be a journalist.

By 23, I was working as a reporter on Capitol Hill covering energy and the environment. But the career path I chose at the age of 17 didn’t suit me. As an introvert, I struggled with the expectations of daily reporting, like schmoozing with congressional staffers, lunching with lobbyists, and staking out elected officials in the Senate and House buildings for quotes. I deeply respect my former colleagues who are still working in the field, especially now, but it was not right for me. 

Before I could even start looking for another job, something unexpected happened. My best friend called me with an opportunity for a newly created position at her employer, The Nature Conservancy.  I interviewed and landed the job as a writer for the organization's first staff newsletter. I hadn’t set out to work in the nonprofit world, but that surprise opportunity led to an 18-year career in communications and marketing at several mission-driven organizations.

Today, as a career and executive coach, I help clients make plans for their careers but also encourage them to leave space open for possibility. After all, some of the most meaningful opportunities emerge when you least expect them. 

The Theory of Planned Happenstance

It may seem counterintuitive to plan for random events, but there is actually a name for it: Planned Happenstance Theory. First described by career scholar John Krumboltz, Planned Happenstance is a theory that recognizes that chance events can be created and transformed into opportunities for growth. In a world where job security is elusive and industries shift overnight, learning how to make the most of chance events is a powerful career strategy.

Here’s how you can make the theory work for you:

1. Recognize how happenstance has shaped your life so far.
   
   In a journal, reflect on and write about all of the ways that chance opportunities have shaped your path. It is possible that these unplanned events have actually had a greater impact on your career than anything you had planned for. Reflecting back on significant unplanned events will help you see patterns of planned happenstance going forward.
   

2. Let go of the 10-year plan.
   
   Try to become more comfortable with not having a long-term plan for your career. This is easier said than done for high achievers. Our brains are wired to crave certainty, and society pressures us from a young age to have a 10-year plan for success. But it is unrealistic to expect everything to go as planned in your career.
   
   Experts suggest taking a more open-minded approach to your career plan. Instead of expecting certainty, focus instead on developing the five behaviors that Krumbolz says lead to planned happenstance: curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism and risk-taking.
   

3. Cultivate serendipity.
   
   Put yourself in more situations where unexpected opportunities can arise.  In other words, make your own luck. Planned happenstance doesn’t mean that you can sit on the couch while you wait for your dream job to find you. The key to making planned happenstance work for you, experts say, is to follow your curiosity. Take a class on a topic that interests you, or visit a place that has always intrigued you.
   
   Most importantly, have conversations with people. The more that people know about you and what you’re good at, the better they can connect you with opportunities that you may have never considered. After all, multiple studies have shown that “weak ties,” or the connections outside of your closest family and friends, have a huge influence on your career. 

While it may sound counter-intuitive, planning for the unplanned may be the strategy you have been overlooking in your career growth. Stay curious, stay flexible, and keep doing work that you love. You may be surprised at what happens next.