During my recent apprenticeship session, we were asked to look at pictures representing the word “career” and choose the one that resonated with us. Interestingly, no one chose the traditional ladder – an image of linear growth and upward direction. My group was drawn towards the foggy path. At first glance, it looks a little dark and gloomy. But I believe it captures how careers often feel – unclear, blurry, and we may get sidetracked along the way.
This activity had me thinking about my own (slightly squiggly) journey. In 2024, an unexpected event occurred, which lead to me taking voluntary redundancy. I was a manager with responsibility across two functions, contributing at middle and senior management level, a role I loved (albeit a challenging one). Having reached my career goals early, I felt like I was truly excelling professionally. But my personal goals weren’t hitting their peak, in particular, owning my own home. In a turbulent higher education market, undergoing sector-wide shifts, I was presented with an opportunity. I could turn my focus to personal goals, but it meant potentially pausing or changing my career path.
This event illustrates Planned Happenstance (Krumboltz, 1996). The theory suggests that unexpected events can encourage career growth and proposes five behaviours we can develop to navigate uncertainty: Curiosity, Persistence, Flexibility, Optimism, and Risk-taking. I started with risk-taking, stepping into uncertainty and having to embrace the unknown. I remained optimistic, confident I would find employment, and hopeful I’d find a new role which still aligned with my values. I had to be flexible, open to sideways moves, and realistic about level and salary. While it felt like stepping backwards, I was actually redirecting. Persistence guided me through my brief unemployment - a structured job search (I need routine!), small steps, and weekly goal setting. But I also focused on spending time with loved ones and prioritising my wellbeing.
When I joined Arden University, I’d returned to a student-facing role and focused on an area I was truly passionate about – supporting students’ career development. I shifted my experience of leading individuals and teams into supporting students, helping them work towards their goals and build confidence. I made sure my experience didn’t disappear but translated. Curiosity became vital. I learned from experienced colleagues, engaged in structured training opportunities, and embraced a willingness to give this new experience a go.
This reinforced what I now see regularly – that careers are rarely linear, and that positive risk-taking can be the turning point. Many of you have taken a positive risk to join Arden, whether accessing higher education for the first time, returning to learning, or studying a course to advance your career. The five behaviours of Planned Happenstance aren’t just theoretical, they are tools you can use to support your journey, with guidance from our Careers, Employability and Alumni Team.
You might start with curiosity by exploring one of our AI-powered career tools, such as Occumi, which helps you identify transferable skills you hadn’t fully recognised. You may use persistence when you book a CV appointment with an Assistant Careers Consultant, or when working on structuring your skills and experience within your CV. Flexibility, optimism and risking taking can be practiced during a career guidance appointment with a Careers Consultant, while they help you explore direction, clarify goals, and action plan.
I’m still navigating my own foggy path, sometimes unsure, sometimes excited, and I’m learning that progress isn’t always obvious. I encourage you to take the small steps you can, even when the path ahead isn’t clear. As Careers Professionals, our role is to guide you. We may not be there for every step, but we can help you start the journey and meet you at points along the way.
Reference:
Krumboltz, J. D. (1996). A learning theory of career counseling. In M. L. Savickas and W. B. Walsh, eds. Handbook of career counseling theory and practice [online] Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing. pp. 55–80