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I have always believed that when opportunity knocks, one should answer the door. There are two main reasons behind this way of thinking: the first, opportunities could pass us by and never occur again; and the second, no matter how hard working one is, a lucky break may lead to the success one has been dreaming of. This is not the same as recklessly jumping into any plan of action that presents itself. Rather, by weighing possible outcomes, positive prospects should be easily detected.
My older sister, Elise, attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC a few years ago. Though she liked the campus, her classes, fellow students, and even the city, Elise rarely ever left the neighborhood of Georgetown to explore DC. Over the semesters and summer holidays, my sister never applied for a single internship with the various powerful institutions and companies in DC, including the congressional offices. Upon graduation, Elise found herself with a small copy editing job at a start-up newspaper in Portland, Oregon. She realized a few months before graduating that her interests were in public service, but possessed absolutely no experience in the field. Elise realized that she had lived in the political and public sector apex in the nation for four years, and never taken advantage of personal contacts in DC or Georgetown to build future connections and job prospects. My sister’s story has been a warning to me, not only to make use of every opportunity I know of, but also to seek out ones that are not obvious.
Another family member’s experience also taught me the importance of chance prospects play in success. My father had tried for years to be hired as a teacher at a local private school. Though he applied multiple times over a decade, hoping to earn the coveted and well-paid position of head of biology, the school always informed him that there were no vacancies. He had all but given up on teaching and decided to pursue a research position when, out of the blue, my dad decided to attend a job fair in a nearby town, and ran into the principal of the private school, who informed him of an opening. Despite the possibility of attaining a biochemistry research position, my father attended two interviews with the school, and after one week, my father was finally hired. His experience reminds me of the importance of persistence, but equally as necessary, the significance of knowing when to rely on lucky opportunities for success.
Ambitious people require more than perseverance, talent, and knowledge to achieve their goals. Opportunity is an underrated, not often talked about factor in success, but almost every successful person will admit that luck has played a positive role at some point in his life.