After losing my job a few weeks ago, I did what every newly unemployed person does. I called all my friends, acquaintances, and anyone I hoped had remembered my name, to drum up leads for new opportunities. If nothing else, I needed people to get out and talk to so I wouldn’t have to sit at home stuck behind a computer all day. As it turns out, you cannot predict who is going to help you on your job search or which leads will pan out. What you think in your mind is good for you, may not be what fate has in the cards for you.

Most people who know me well, know that I am a person of science (actually engineering) and I put little faith in ‘The Powers That Be’ or ‘The Universe’. I had to admit the events of the last few weeks left me befuddled. I had two companies that I was pursuing, but for some reason on one (in which I felt like I put very little effort) turned out to be the right opportunity for me. The second lead, for which I had numerous contacts into the company and attempted several paths of introductions, I could not seem to get anything to happen. I wondered what was going wrong. Was I pushing to hard? Was it just not the ‘right’ opportunity for me and the universe was telling me so? In the end, my hard work did not seem to make a difference or pay off.

After receiving my job offer last week, I realized, it isn’t always how hard you work that determines what happens to you. Sure, you actually have to do some work (like show up for the interview). Sometimes things will inexplicably fall into your lap, and you need to accept that this. You have to stop questioning what you might call ‘good luck’.

Every day you will come across people who may or may not be giving and willing to help you. Those are the people who for some reason turn out to be the most beneficial and fruitful for you. Think about your daily life and all the people you meet or interact with. Doesn’t it feel nice to volunteer your help or assistance with things that you are passionate about? I think the job hunt process works the same way. Those who volunteered assistance seemed to be better at making things happen with little intervention from me. It was if it was predetermined. I know this sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo, however, if you think positively about what you want, it may just fall in your lap. Don’t fight it, embrace it. The universe really is a lot bigger than you are.