Summary: Al discusses the theory of Happenstance, and how taking advantage of unexpected opportunities can impact your career. Al explains how to take advantage of unplanned events and use them to advance your career. To download this podcast, click here Al Levin, is the co-author of Luck Is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career with Dr. John Krumboltz of Stanford University. After seeing how unexpected events can make a huge difference in a career path, Al and his colleague came up with the theory of Happenstance. Al notes that this concept applies even more today, since technology, globalization and other rapid changes in the work place makes it more difficult to have a set plan. While many career counselors advise choosing a career goal and sticking with it, Al stresses the importance of taking advantage of unexpected opportunities that may not necessarily fit into your plan, giving examples from his own experience. For young professionals searching for jobs, Al suggests that young professionals need to be open to opportunities they didn’t plan for, since there will be opportunities if they are open minded than if they are focused on one goal. His three strategies for advancing your career are keep your options open and explore, take action even when you are not sure of the outcome, and go for the job, even when you don’t have all the necessary skills, because learning on the job is part of the process. Al S. Levin, Ed.D., Professor of Counselor Education at California State University, Sacramento, was formerly the Assistant Director at Stanford University’s Career Development Center, MBA Career Management Center, and Lecturer at Stanford’s School of Education. Dr. Levin has authored numerous career development publications including “Luck Is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career” (Impact Publishers), which he co-authored with Dr. John Krumboltz of Stanford University.
