How far could we respond to chance and what are the benefits for our lives? Occupational counselling in its attempt to help people meet challenges in their work has developed a modern approach that will give them useful skills to respond to the unpredictable. She called it the theory of chance.
Given the uncertainty and the social and economic crisis we are facing in the employment sector, the Theory of Chance has been formulated. It is a different approach to professional development which argues that the reality we live in is so complex that it limits us in what we know and, more importantly, in what we control in our lives. Thus, even if we have carefully planned our career choices, it is possible that unforeseen unpleasant events and failures may occur, such as the loss of a job and the inability to find a new job or bad situations we experience in the job we are already in.
To gain more control over our lives it is argued that we need to develop a life skill called "readiness at random". It is about recognizing and making use of chance situations, whether they are positive or negative unexpected life events. At the same time, individuals need to develop five necessary career skills:
1) Curiosity: It is essential for discovering new learning experiences. In a rapidly changing and evolving world, it is necessary to keep our eyes open and constantly explore it to gain new knowledge and experiences.
2) Perseverance: Success does not come overnight. Even if it does come, it will be fleeting. We need to invest time and energy to achieve our goals, so perseverance is a very important virtue.
3) Flexibility: This is a skill that all employers are looking for. Flexibility helps to quickly and easily adapt to new situations such as changes in processes, technologies, people, schedules and resources.
4) Optimism: Nothing can be done if we don't believe in it first. Negative energy from ourselves is an obstacle to our plans. In addition, pessimism influences the decisions we make and we are unable to discern or take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.
5) Risk taking: All the beautiful things in life require risk. It is in the unknown that we evolve and become better. It is more dangerous to stand still without taking risks than to test your strengths by taking the consequences of your actions. But the better choice is to take calculated risks. These are risks that are certainly challenging, but in the event of failure, we can respond and bounce back.
Essentially, the "preparedness to accidental“, suggests that we should be "open" and positive towards new situations as they can help us, if properly exploited, to improve our professional and personal lives.
According to the Theory of Chance there are a number of myths that have been formed over the years that it comes to debunk:
|
Common "myths" |
How the Theory of Randomness contradicts them |
| Don't let random events spoil your plans. | Make the most of random events. |
| Pick a career goal as soon as possible. | Always keep your options open. |
| Do whatever you can to make your dream come true. | Be vigilant so that if necessary you can change your dream. |
| Act only when you are sure of the outcome. | Try, even if you don't know the outcome. |
| Avoid making mistakes. | Go ahead and make mistakes. |
| Wait for fortune to bring you a desired change in your life. | Do what you can to create your own luck. |
| Only seek a job in a profession if you have the necessary skills. | Look for a job in a profession even if you don't have the skills - you'll learn them later. |
Therefore, unplanned events are a normal but necessary component of life and the more receptive we are to managing them, the more they will contribute to our personal and professional development.
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Career Counsellor / Career Guidance
Member of the Greek Association of Consulting, Coaching & Mentoring-HCCMA
After completing my studies in Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Athens, I attended seminars in Customer Service, Public Relations and Sales in order to add more value to the services I offer. In recent years,I started a new chapter in my life through Life Coaching and Career Counseling and my Vision is to help people have a successful career path combined with balance in their personal life.
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