The making of an opportunity
What exactly is in our control?
Think about the last job offer you got. Did you really make the opportunity happen?
What exactly was in your control?
What was not in your control?
For instance:
You: Prepared for the job interview.
Not you: Your interviewer is from your alma mater and you connected with them immediately.
You: Casually mention to your rarely-seen neighbor that you are looking for a job in corporate strategy.
Not you: A friend of theirs looking to hire in corporate strategy had just reached out the day before.
You: Spend a few minutes explaining to a friend the niche industry that you are passionate about.
Not you: The friend bumps into an old acquaintance that works in that field the very next week.
You: Read and share an article about a company doing cutting edge work.
Not you: A recruiter representing that exact firm reaches out.
You: Reach out to some folks for a networking coffee.
Not you: An acquaintance from long ago contacts you unprompted about an opportunity.
We actually control very little in all the many macro and micro steps that have to happen to create an opportunity such as a job offer. It’s not that we don’t play a role at all, we do. But we don’t control every step.
There might be many terms to describe the steps that are “not you” and are out of our control. Kismet, chance, luck, dumb luck, serendipity. Sometimes we call it new-age terms like manifestation or attraction.
I like to call it the universe.
Albert Einstein once said it was up to us to determine whether the universe was friendly or not.
When I believe everything is happening for me, my job search is included in that. I know I am responsible for taking some action and I also know I won’t fully control the journey to my next position. I go into it with very little expectation. I focus on what’s immediately in front of me and on how much I am enjoying the steps I take.
Were I to believe that the universe isn’t always necessarily friendly, I might take on the view that the job market is tough. And that the ‘no’s or radio silence I get from hiring managers is evidence of exactly that. In that situation I become a little fearful or even angry or desperate. I contract. I don’t share what I am excited about doing next. I don’t do most of the actions in those examples above.
There is something unspoken that happens when we do our bit.
And what is our bit? We are responsible for taking action towards what we want in 100% belief that it’s going to happen for us.
When we do, the universe meets us more than half way.
Hi, I’m Serena. I am a life purpose coach. I help high-achievers find the work they are truly meant to do.
Ready to discover your true purpose? Start with a free and relaxed consultation call. I hear your story and I tell you the process that will bring you back to your purpose path. Reach out to me here.
