Do you want to be Lucky?
What does that even mean?
Recently, one of my friends was looking for jobs in a difficult market. She was either not getting calls or getting rejected.
One day, she was reached out by a recruiter of a company to set up an interview. There were many reasons why she should have turned it down
- It was quite clear that the role and the industry did not suit her.
- It required submitting an assignment before the interview.
- She was travelling to India soon. She needed to pack and plan.
The girl, for whatever reasons, went ahead, completed the assignment (8 hours) and went for the interview. As expected, they turned her down saying her skills don’t match.
I guess she did not get lucky?
A few weeks later, the recruiter reached out to her and shared how much he liked her energy and attitude. And to his kindness, he personally referred her to another company. And as you could guess now, she got a job in that company.
Now, did she get lucky?
I don’t think so. I think she JUST showed up. She showed up for the first interview when she knew there was minimal probability of getting an outcome.
Luck is merely a coincidence when opportunities meet showing up.
This is one mantra that I have been following for a few years now. How?
- At work, I show up for those optional, boring meetings (which Engineers usually dread). Like PM/design reviews, Fireside chats etc.
- I show up for those long & boring conferences (within my means). No, I haven’t bought anything from their stalls yet, but I always leave with inspiration & ideas.
- I show up for the Social meets with new people which are certainly out of my comfort zone. Unsurprisingly, it has led to some great relationships that I will cherish over time.
All you need to do is Show Up. And Give Luck a Chance!