Please talk to me about careers by happenstance

[WellAlwaysHaveParis]

I'm looking for entry-level graduate jobs at the moment.

I've heard about careers by happenstance from my old university Careers Service, and just wanted to ask about them.

Has anyone on here had a career by happenstance, and how have you found it all? Have you felt happy with your career path?

Thanks :)

I took a part time job at university (not your typical bar / waitressing / etc) job, loved it and decided to rise up the ranks in that field. I didn't know the field existed until I was at university - it's very niche.

I won't stay in the exact line of work forever, largely due to work life balance, but I'll probably stay in the same sector.

I gave up a brilliant career after having cancer and all associated treatments (could not cope with all the travel). After 11 months at home, was going stir crazy, so applied, and got, an admin job for a not for profit organisation, only 12 hours per week.
Perfect.
3 months later, the CEO left and I took over temporarily.
I was in the job for 9 years until I took early retirement - not planned, had no previous experience, total happenstance, but bloody wonderful 😊

DS graduated and asked everyone he knew for intern type opportunities. My DB offered him some fairly dull work at stupidly low money at the online company he worked for.

He stayed and gained an interest in digital marketing analysis which is a big newish field. After two years he wa headhunted by an agency and had a big pay increase. After another almost two years he was approached by a huge global company for a post in a vibrant European city and has moved there for a few years with his gf (met through work, also happenstance!)

He’s now late twenties on about £70k plus benefits.

I did a 3-year degree; DH did four years. During his fourth year, since I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, I bumbled about temping. A week on reception here, a week in reprographics there, three months in a sixth form college exams office, etc.

Then I got assigned to an admin/secretarial maternity cover in a specialist law firm. Within a year I was training as a paralegal and have basically been headhunted from role to role ever since.

I took an admin and events role a year out of university to get out of retail. Applied for a marketing secondment within the same business just for something to do. Ended up loving it and 8 years later I've had 4 marketing roles and am now a Comms Manager and freelance copywriter on the side. It's fab.

DH graduated and needed a job, so he took one in a car insurance call centre. He liked the challenge, moved up there, and then has had a series of different fields within insurance done prof qualifications, and is now a senior manager with a big team of his own.
So not what he thought he'd do, but he loves it

I was messing around after uni, doing bar/bookshop/random work, when my flat mate’s sister rang up to say she had run into an old acquaintance at a nightclub and this woman was now looking for an intern in financial journalism.
I got the job because I lived in walking distance of the office, so the early starts weren’t a problem.
More than 20 years later, I’m still a financial journalist, have an MSc in Economics and have relied on it through many vicissitudes of career and life.

I took a temp job at the Local Council stamping up plans in the Planning Department. The Council paid for my Masters and I rose up the ranks to a Planning Manager.

I wasn't actress for 10 years, I did some really cool stuff but was feeling like there was more to life, but hadn't ever made the decision to Jack it in.
I was between tours when I got a panicked call from another actress I knew in the same town saying she had a serious eye infection and could I cover a corporate job she had with the local police force.
It was playing the part of a rape victim as part of some new training officers were doing.
Long story short I ended up having that job for 2 years, and became a special constable (volunteer police officer) because of it.
I loved it so much I decided to apply for the regulars, not thinking I'd get in, and two years later here I am about to start a new years night shift!

I've never been happier and I often wonder what would have happened had my friend not got the infection. (She ended up not being able to do the police job as got a tour the next week so I didn't feel terrible taking it from her )

*was an actress, obviously!

Great story washingmatilda. Hope your night shift isn’t too eventful this evening.

Thank you Teaches !

I was doing entry level temp jobs and then got a short term gig as a shoot logger in tv. The show got cancelled but I talked myself into a 2 month internship into the promo department.
10 years later I'm head of operations for an advertising agency and I love it.

Friend was applying for a job and asked for help in filling out the initial paperwork as he thought I was applying too. I'd pretty much decided I wasn't interested, but agreed we'd apply together. That was over a decade ago. We both got a job from it and I love it, although he's since changed fields as it wasn't for him.

I graduated with a good but utterly useless degree and started working in entry level admin jobs while I 'decided' what I wanted to do - more or less by accident ended up in an admin job where I had the chance to do some coaching training. Because I took that opportunity (as well as taking every other chance I was offered to take on additional projects and add to my skills) I'm now running the training and development programme for a rather prestigious organisation and have some great opportunities open to continue my own training and progress within the organisation over the next three years.

When I look back it looks like a career 'path' but at the time it was following what I fancied doing. I guess that's happenstance. Enjoy what you do and it never feels like work.

I just applied for a LOT of jobs in different things!

Asked a non profit for funding for a group I used to represent .... They suggested I apply for their executive director position. Got the job and love it.....

It's not my career that is happenstance, but the industry I work in

I graduated in my chosen field, and ended up in a job in that field on one industry. Very glamorous (from the outside) and I kind of thought I'd stay there till I jus happened to go for a similar role in a completely different industry.

I am now in a fairly high profile role in an industry that couldn't be hotter if it tried. Love it. My only "problem" is what I do next, as the next rung is not a place I want to be (director, hands off, I am currently managerial, hands on).

I ended up in the career I've been in for 24 years because the European Union were offering grants for a particular masters degree and I didn't have a job.