How much of a role does luck play in your career success? Sometimes it may seem like luck is behind, or at least a contributing factor, too many of the good and bad things that happen. Fortunately, this is just perception. That being said, if you perceive yourself as unlucky, while those around you benefit from good luck, it might be time to take a proactive approach and to set yourself up for success!

Seven Suggestions to Make Your Own Luck Throughout Your Career

Creating your own luck does not mean picking all the four leaf clovers you can find or keeping a horseshoe on your desk. It requires a different type of initiative. It means setting yourself up to have the most chances of benefiting from happenstance. The following seven tips can help increase your odds that you will benefit from, what many would view as: good luck!

1. Develop a Career Strategy

Aspiring professionals look to the future. They have a destination, well beyond where they are today, in mind. Take some time to reflect. Ask yourself questions such as:

• What have you accomplished and did you meet the goals you previously set for yourself?
• If you were unable to do everything that you wanted, what hindered your efforts?
• What did you enjoy and what would you prefer to do less of moving forward?
• Where would you like to see yourself in 5, 10 or 15 years?
• What challenges will you face and what will enable your success?

The answers to these questions will enable you to create well-thought-out goals.

While having long-term goals is a great start for overall success, they are only helpful if you can create actionable steps that will propel you towards the desired outcomes. Break down your goals into short-term objectives. Identify gaps, such as skills, education or experience and determine what options are available to acquire them. Once you figure out what it takes to gain each competency, use these details to create action items and benchmarks.

2. Develop a Mentor-Mentee Relationship

A good mentor is often a blessing for professionals. After all, even the most intelligent and accomplished individuals benefit from the shared experience and knowledge of those around them. However, this is especially true for those who are just entering the workforce or are still developing along their career path, as they often have fewer experiences to draw from as issues arise and opportunities present themselves. 

Mentors can help their mentees bridge this gap and enable their continued growth by assisting with career strategy, providing knowledgeable instruction and offering critical guidance in times of uncertainty. They might even be able to help connect them with opportunities.

3. Invest in Your Development

Consider what is holding you back from reaching your goals. Would a degree, certification or new skill help you advance your career? Determine what resources you need to accomplish your objectives, as well as how much time and money you are able to devote towards your education.

Take advantage of any career development offerings, such as tuition reimbursement or mentorship programs, that your company offers. While degrees and certifications go a long way, they often require larger investments. Remember that there are often free and low cost options that can help you take your career to the next level as well. For example, options such as online courses and webinars can be an economical means to an end.

Consider joining professional associations. Many offer benefits to its members, such as job search tools, events, education opportunities and certifications. Choose organizations that best enable you to meet your goals and make the most of the offerings throughout your career development.

4. Improve and Maintain Your Professional Online Presence

Your online image is often a significant aspect of how you are perceived professionally. Clean up your overall online image and ensure that your LinkedIn profile is professional, up-to-date and monitored regularly. Do your best to be active on LinkedIn. Like and share content to show your knowledge in your field. Network with others, especially those in your industry. After all, that connection and your knowledge, shown through your profile and consistent engagement in relevant topics, could open doors.

Set your personal accounts to private and remove public content that you wouldn’t want your current boss or future employers to see. Think of yourself as a brand. Make sure your online image is consistent with the message you intend portray to your current team, recruiters, hiring managers and potential employers.

5. Network

Make the most of networking opportunities and be proactive in making new connections. However, when attending large, in-person networking events, take a targeted approach. It can be difficult to make meaningful connections with everyone, but developing a professional rapport with a handful of contacts can truly benefit your career.

Take advantage of social media and other resources to network as well. Share your knowledge and interests, (through likes, shares and the generation of fresh content of your own) and by connecting with professionals and relevant organizations. Regular activity will help build and reinforce your personal image and brand and increase the likelihood that you are considered when opportunities become available.

6. Volunteer

A great way to grow professionally is to help others during a time of need. If you notice a co-worker or manager struggling with their workload, it might benefit you to offer a helping hand. Assuming you have the bandwidth and ability to assist, you may get the chance to learn a new skill, expand your experience and work with new people. Helping those around you is also an excellent way to exhibit your initiative and highlight your team working skills.

Opportunities to help others and grow professionally are not limited to 9-5 jobs. A fantastic way to grow professionally is to volunteer. Volunteering often provides the chance for professionals to learn new skills and gain the experience they otherwise would not be able to garner in their paid role. An added bonus is often the ability to network with like-minded individuals and busy professionals that are difficult to reach during their day-job. These contacts can potentially expand your professional network, enable business and professional development and support efforts to seek out new opportunities in the future.

7. Keep in Touch with Recruiters

A recruiter is a powerful tool in a job seeker’s arsenal. These skilled professionals are incredibly industry-aware and have strong connections throughout the area, often with some of the region’s top companies. Additionally, they can help candidates perfect their resumes, craft compelling cover letters, and select the ideal jobs to target.

Placement companies, such as RealStreet, can often help professionals take a passive approach to a job search and thus, career development. By providing them with your resume and ideally a few details about personal preferences, you can focus on your job. Recruiters will simply keep you in mind as new opportunities become available.

Similarly, recruitment specialists have robust networks within their community. Usually, they can use these connections to market a candidate who would be an ideal fit for a company even if there is not a currently listed vacancy. This approach can increase the odds of a good career fit by actively matching job seekers to their ideal environment or position, and then contacting the company directly to showcase why the candidate is perfect.

Looking for an Architecture, Engineering or Construction Opportunity to Advance Your Career?

If you are looking for a new architecture, engineering or construction position, the team at RealStreet can connect you with some of the industry’s leading employers. Contact us to talk with one of our knowledgeable recruiters about your career aspirations and goals, and to see how our robust recruitment and hiring services can streamline your search.