You can do everything right in a job search and still not get the job.
You have the perfect job search technique.
You have created the best tailored cover letter.
You have the perfect resume.
Your follow-up skills make a career advisors green with envy.
Your ability to interview well might have a plethora of interviewers just waiting for you to apply.
Despite all of those things, you find yourself being told, “You were our second choice.”
WTF?!!!
That’s the part no one talks about. Chance and luck still play a role.
They manifest themselves in the jobs available. The quality and quantity of the other people applying. The timing. Even how you show up on any given day. Some of that is outside of your control, but not all of it.
While you don’t control chance and luck, you can increase how often it finds you.
“Where Luck and Chance Start Working for You”
Successfully finding a job is not only about skills and qualifications. Timing, visibility, persistence, and preparation all play a role.
Some people call this luck. The good news is that there are many things you can do to increase the chances that good luck finds you.
Luck improves when you give it more places to land
Luck improves when you increase the number of doors you knock on and what you do when those doors open.
- Apply for any jobs you have an interest in; job advertisements are written for “the perfect” applicant; however, rarely does anyone have all of those skills. Apply and you might be the most qualified applicant.
- Apply to jobs within 24–36 hours of posting. While governments and some organizations will wait until the “cut-off” date, many other organizations may interview and hire early because of their urgency to fill a position.
- Set up job alerts on multiple job boards and check them regularly.
- Check individual company websites and social media posts, not just job boards.
- Look for temporary, seasonal, or contract jobs that could lead to permanent work. The path to the job you desire may have multiple steps that you did not consider.
- Visit employers you would like to work for by “cold calling,” actually knocking on doors, asking to speak to managers about opportunities now and that they might have in the future, even if no job is posted. 70 to 80% of jobs are never advertised.
- If you apply, are interviewed, but are not successful, thank and congratulate the employer when they tell you, ask them to consider you, “If for any reason the person hired doesn’t work out,” and ask for their advice on what you could do differently next time.
Remember, more applications + more conversations = more chances for good luck.
Most opportunities don’t start with applications.
They start with someone remembering you. It is important to remember that successful job searching is a “team” activity.
Opportunities Start with Being Remembered:
- Tell friends, family, and neighbours you are job searching.
- Let former teachers, supervisors, or coworkers know you are available.
- Introduce yourself politely to managers when visiting businesses or other organizations.
- Attend job fairs, community events, and networking opportunities.
- Volunteer or take short-term work where employers can see your work ethic.
- Join community groups or local organizations.
- Engage with businesses online using tools like LinkedIn, including following organizations you admire.
Sometimes opportunity begins with someone thinking, “I know someone who might be good for that job.”
Luck only helps the person who’s ready to say yes
In my experience, job opportunities sometimes appear suddenly. Being prepared will help you take advantage of them.
Ready Isn’t a Feeling, It’s a Decision:
- Keep your resume updated and tailor your skills section to mirror what the employer is looking for in the advertisement.
- Always use a tailored cover letter for the job. Your cover letter and resume demonstrate how your skills match those the employer is looking for. Never use a standard template; you are better off not using a cover letter if you do that.
- I believe listing your references on your resume will help you get noticed in smaller communities and when the community of practice is tight.
- Prepare a short introduction about yourself that isn’t a history of everything you have done; it is a summary of how you and your skills match what the employer is looking for.
- Practice answering common interview questions, always keeping in mind that your answers should solve whatever employment problem the interviewer is trying to solve.
- Have proper clothing ready for interviews. Your clothes do not need to be fancy, but clean, presentable, and with a fresh scent is important.
- Depending on the type of work, be prepared to start work quickly if needed.
- At the end of the interview, ask for their business card (for following up)
Often when the lucky moment occurs, luck favours the person who can say: “Yes, I’m ready.”
Following Up (This Is Where Most Candidates Disappear)
I have found remarkable few people follow up when they apply for work or have had an interview. As an employer, I noticed something most candidates miss almost no one follows up. The ones who do immediately stand out.
Helpful strategies:
- Send a short thank-you message within 24 hours after interviews. Thank the interviewer(s) for the opportunity to speak to them, reinforce that you are more positive and enthusiastic than before, and that you are looking forward to hearing from them.
- Follow up 5 days after applying and again after an additional 5 days if you did not have a response or call politely to check on application status.
- Reapply later if a job posting appears again, even if the employer said previously they would save your application.
- If you were not selected for an interview or for employment, let employers know you are still interested in future opportunities.
Many employers appreciate people who show genuine interest and persistence.
Never underestimate the power of being nice.
Use small moments to create opportunities for yourself. I believe that luck often happens through small everyday interactions.
For example:
- Be friendly and professional with everyone you meet, both privately and publicly.
- Ask people what they do for work, show curiosity, listen, and ask questions.
- Mention your job search in natural conversations.
- Leave a positive impression wherever you go.
You never know who might say, “You should talk to my manager.”
Make Bad Luck Pay You Back
Rejection happens to everyone during a job search, and it will happen to you. It is especially frustrating when you perceive you have done everything right and you would be perfect for the job in question. First, appreciate that there are many reasons why you were not selected, everything from a pre-determined candidate to they simply liked someone else better. The key to a successful job search is to be able to learn from this and each type of experience.
Ways to turn bad luck into opportunity:
- Ask for feedback when possible, when getting the bad news that you weren’t selected. Congratulate them, however, on choosing someone. Then say, “If, for any reason, that person does not work out, you would appreciate being reconsidered.” It happens, and your ability to be positive and to make yourself available will help you to stand out. Ask if there is anything they can tell you to be better next time.
- Reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and what could improve. This simple 3-step process is very powerful.
- Keep connections with employers who did not hire you. This is often ignored by many job seekers; however, as a former employer, I hired several people subsequent to not hiring them for their original application because of the way they stayed in contact with me.
- Ask if they know other employers who might be hiring. This is networking at its finest, and it works; all you have to do is ask.
- Improve one small thing before your next application. Know that everyone selected by an employer could likely do their job; they hire the person they feel is the best choice. By improving yourself incrementally, you are putting yourself in line to be that person.
Sometimes the job you don’t get leads to the job you do get.
Consistency Creates Its Own Luck
Your luck improves when you stay organized and consistent. If a job search were simply a matter of handing in a resume, this step would not be needed; however, maximizing your efforts requires many separate and independent steps, and using a spreadsheet tracker will pay dividends for you.
Helpful habits:
- Track every job you apply to.
- Set and track follow-up dates.
- Tailor cover letters and resume skill sections.
- Record the employer details you spoke with.
- Set small daily or weekly job search goals.
This helps turn job searching from guesswork into a strategy.
Stay in the Game Long Enough for Luck to Find You
Job searching can be emotionally difficult, especially for people who have faced barriers or rejection. It is normal to feel discouraged sometimes.
Helpful ways to stay positive:
- Focus on effort, not just outcomes. As mentioned above, incremental improvement consistently applied will make a difference.
- Set at least 3 SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific) goals you can accomplish each week.
- Celebrate progress (applications sent, interviews gained, contacts made).
- Talk with supportive friends, family, or mentors. Share the successes and failures and learn from each.
- Take breaks and care for your mental health.
- Remember that many hiring decisions come down to timing, not personal failure.
“Not getting a job does not mean you were not good enough. It may simply mean the timing or fit was different.”
You can’t control every outcome.
But you can control how often you show up.
How prepared you are.
And how many chances you give luck to find you.
Over time, that’s what separates the people who are still waiting … from the ones who get chosen.
Paul.