Choose your own adventure!
Teaching students to plan for the unexpected
Presentation at NACADA 2014 Annual Conference | Minneapolis, MN
Susan LeBlanc and Lisa Novack |University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Your adventure: in pictures or words, describe your career adventure on how you got into the
field of higher education.
Planned Happenstance
Planned:
Happen:
Stance:
Planned Happenstance Theory: The creating and transforming of unplanned events into opportunities
for learning; goal is to assist students to generate, recognize, and incorporate chance events into their
career development. (Mitchell, Levin, & Krumbotz, 1999).
Advising Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
Normalize planned happenstance in the student’s history.
Assist students to transform curiosity into opportunities for learning and exploration.
Teach students to produce desirable chance events.
Teach students to overcome blocks to action.
Mitchell, Levin, and Krumboltz (1999)
Discussion
1. How have you seen examples of Planned Happenstance in the students you work with?
2. What new approaches might you take in talking with your advisees about career and major
planning as a result of this session?
References and Resources:
Landon, P. & Hammock, W. K. (2010). Planned happenstance: Preparing liberal arts and social science students to follow their hearts
to career success. Academic Advising Today, 33(1). Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Academic-AdvisingToday/View-Articles/Planned-Happenstance-Preparing-Liberal-Arts-and-Social-Science-Students-to-Follow-Their-Hearts-to-CareerSuccess.aspx
Krumboltz, J. D. (2011). Capitalizing on happenstance. Journal of Employment Counseling (48), 156-158.
Krumboltz, J. D. (2009). The happenstance learning theory. Journal of Career Assessment, 17, 135-154.
nd
Krumboltz, J. D., & Levin, A. S. (2010). Luck is no accident: Making the most of happenstance in your life and career (2 ed.).
Atascadero, CA: Impact Publishers.
Mitchell, K. E., Levin, A. S., & Krumbotz, J. D. (1999), Planned happenstance: Constructing unexpected career opportunities. Journal
of Counseling & Development, 77, 115-124.
LinkedIn “Field of Study Explorer”: http://blog.linkedin.com/2014/07/28/does-studying-fine-art-unemployment-introducinglinkedins-field-of-study-explorer/