Do you know people who always seem to be lucky in their career? They get the best jobs, the best promotions, and the best salaries. We all know people like that, but have you ever taken a critical look at why and how they became so 'lucky?'

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

In my career coaching practice, I've found that my clients who get 'lucky breaks' are those who believe in this definition of luck. They all make it a point to:

• Stay on top of economic, industry, professional and company trends
• Perform ongoing training and reconnaissance
• Equip themselves with the most current tools, skills and information
• Continuously track their accomplishments and achievements
• Have an updated resume and/or career portfolio
• Maintain their professional and personal networks

They all know where the opportunities are and position themselves to be in the right place at the right time—fully prepared to act on a 'lucky break!'

Keep a career journal

What can you do to increase your 'career luck?' I encourage my clients to keep a career journal. This can be as simple as a spiral book that you keep in your desk drawer. At the end of each week, ask yourself how you made a difference in the workplace or contributed to your own professional development and then document it. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started:

• Did you capture a key account?
• Did you close a major piece of business?
• Did you forge a new professional partnership or strategic alliance?
• Did you work on a significant project? Did you streamline a work process? Did you participate in any important meetings or team projects?
• Can you quantify the results?
• Can you identify the impact that your contribution will make on your team, department, division or organization?

Another way to identify your career 'wins' is to identify CAR / PAR stories. Ask yourself:

• What was a challenge or problem that I faced?
• What action did I take?
• What was the result to my company?

Keeping a career journal will give you an acute awareness of the contributions you make on the job. This practice will also provide you with accomplishment-oriented information for your resume (which should always be up to date), performance evaluations, business development efforts and networking opportunities. This will go a long way to enhance your career luck!