"In January of 1986 I was flipping through the channels on TV and saw the closing credits for a PBS show called 'Funny Business,' a show about cartooning. I had always wanted to be a cartoonist but never knew how to go about it. I wrote to the host of the show, cartoonist Jack Cassady, and asked his advice on entering the profession.

 

"A few weeks later I got an encouraging handwritten letter from Jack, answering all of my specific questions about materials and process. He went on to warn me about the likelihood of being rejected at first, advising me not to get discouraged if that happened. He said the cartoon samples I sent him were good and worthy of publication.

 

"I got very excited, finally understanding how the whole process worked. I submitted my best cartoons to Playboy and The New Yorker. The magazines quickly rejected me with a cold little photocopied form letter. Discouraged, I put my art supplies in the closet and decided to forget about cartooning.

 

"In June of 1987 -- out of the blue -- I got a second letter from Jack Cassady. This was surprising, since I hadn't even thanked him for the original advice. Here's what his letter said:

 

Dear Scott,

 

I was reviewing my "Funny Business ..." mail file when I again ran across your letter and copies of your cartoons. I remember answering your letter.

 

The reason I'm dropping you this note is to again encourage you to submit your ideas to various publications. I hope you have already done so and are on the road to making a few bucks and having some fun, too.

 

Sometimes encouragement in the funny business of graphic humor is hard to come by. That's why I'm encouraging you to hang in there and keep drawing.

 

I wish you lots of luck, sales and good drawing.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jack

 

"I was profoundly touched by his letter, largely I think because Jack had nothing to gain -- including my thanks, if history was any indication. I acted on his encouragement, dragged my art supplies out of storage and inked the sample strips that eventually became Dilbert. Now, seven hundred newspapers and six books later, things are going pretty well in Dilbertville."

 

Adams's letter offers a wonderful example of "planned happenstance." Adams worked creatively for opportunities and made his own luck.

 

Was Adams simply "lucky" in this situation? Hardly, Krumboltz would argue:

 

"The encouragement Adams received did not really come 'out of the blue,'" Krumboltz writes in a recent article describing his "planned happenstance" concept. "He initiated the encouragement by bringing his interest to the attention of Cassady. He was not blocked by the belief, 'Cassady is a big name; he would never take time to respond to my questions.' Instead, he took the risk of writing to Cassady, thus generating an encouraging response that helped to launch Adams into becoming a much sought after cartoonist."

 

In other words, Adams made his own luck by taking positive action, which in turn created opportunities for him. You can do the same thing in your own career exploration and job hunting activities. How? Consider the following courses of action:

 

*     Follow in Adams's footsteps and write to someone in a field in which you're interested. Perhaps you, too, will receive an encouraging response that offers ideas and tips for getting into that field.

*     Meet in person with someone who is currently working in a field you're thinking about pursuing. Many students have conducted these informational interviews, which often result not only in useful information, but also leads on internship or co-op opportunities or even job possibilities.

*     Join a local professional association or student organization that focuses on a field that's attractive to you. By doing so, you'll meet people whose career goals and interests align with your own and who may be able to help you in reaching your own career goals.

*     Talk to a campus career counselor to discuss your career ideas and dreams. Most college career counselors are well connected with many employers and quite knowledgeable about various career possibilities. Tap into that knowledge and see where it leads you.

 

While it may seem that luck plays a part in everyone's career, in most cases that luck was far from random. As you move through your college career, look for ways to set "planned happenstance" in motion. By doing so, you'll create a set of conditions that lead to satisfying career opportunities -- lucky for you.