In my previous blog I talked about how job search didn’t have to involve luck, but I’m hearing from people who firmly believe that a successful job search DOES depend on luck. Okay, so I’ll show you how to turn bad luck into good job search luck, even when it seems like all the luck is being dished out to the people around you.

Like to the guy who got rejected for a job he wasn’t qualified for, but they changed the qualifications, called him back and hired him!

What about that person who had a connection at the company who presented her information to HR for the job? Obviously that’s just luck that she had that connection.

Or that other person who interviewed for a job, and after 2 weeks with no contact, which is never good, out of the blue they called him back and offered him the job. Seriously, what gives?

Whether you believe in good luck charms or not, I found a way to turn any ordinary penny into a REAL good luck charm specific to the job search!

Let’s say you sent a detailed resume out and got a phone interview. So you prepare, researching the company, you know the specific reasons why you’re interested in this position and then the interview goes perfectly!

As expected they call you back for an in-person interview. Of course it’s for the time you lined up a doctor’s appointment that took you 6 months to arrange, but you rearrange your schedule to make it happen. Again you prepare, you find everyone you are going to meet with on LinkedIn and get to know their profiles. You look through other people’s profiles who work at that company so you can get even more information. You’re ready.

The interview goes well again. You go through every step of the process, and you’re waiting on the edge of your seat for the good news…and then you get an email, “Sorry, we will not be proceeding further with your application. It’s imperative you have a Bachelor’s Degree to be considered for the role.”

But I… that was on my res… I cancelled my… what?!?!?

Now you have a choice. How do you react? Do you tell them off, or show restraint?

If you thank them for their time, you let them know you’re disappointed but if anything changes that you’d be very interested in being reconsidered, then the door will be open if things do change. Now grab a lucky penny and put it in your pocket and keep it there for the day.

What if the next time someone endorses you on LinkedIn, probably for some skill you don’t have, instead of rolling your eyes and forgetting about it, try thanking them, endorsing them back, and asking if you can help them. Then check out their employer for jobs. If you can create a dialog with this person, ask them who you should send a resume to so you can get in the door faster.

Better yet, ask if they have an employee referral program! Tell them you can send your resume to them directly and they can present your information to HR and maybe earn that bonus! Now you’ll have an internal employee lobbying on your behalf to help you get the job. Even if they don’t respond to your effort, grab a penny and put it in your pocket.

While you’re waiting for a call back, what if one of your references sends an email directly to the hiring manager, to the email address you acquired when you “luckily” asked for their card while you were at the interview so you could send the thank you note, and your reference gives an unsolicited testimonial about how great it is to work with you. Grab another penny.

Any time you are treated poorly or unfairly in your job search efforts, and you react with restraint, or when you reach out to a target company before clicking an apply button, or you do anything extra that the average job seeker wouldn’t do, put a penny in your pocket.

Even if these efforts don’t work at first, let these pennies serve as symbols telling you that you’re doing the right things to give yourself the best chance for success, and if you keep doing them, good things are going to happen for you.

You are giving yourself the deserved right to feel lucky!

They say that luck is simply the intersection between prior preparation and opportunity. Taking steps like these prepares you to take advantage of opportunities that currently aren’t there, but they will be, and they’ll only be there for a split second. If you’ve got enough pennies in your pocket at that moment, you’re going to luck yourself right into a job.