By David Lindskoog
You may have heard about the Chaos Theory, a mathematical theory that was developed, among other applications, for use in meteorology. From it arose the term “butterfly effect”—maybe you’ve seen the movie by the same name—which describes the phenomenon of small changes producing drastic results over time. There’s even a “Simpsons” Hallowe’en special that illustrates all this using the dramatic example of a toaster that allows time travel.
Now, Robert Pryor and Jim Bright have combined chaos and careers in their new book The Chaos Theory of Careers: A New Perspective on Working in the Twenty-First Century. So how do the two mix? And more importantly, what does it mean for students?
One of my favourite analogies explaining Chaos Theory goes something like this: Imagine you drop a ping-pong ball in a closed, empty room. You can easily determine and measure all the factors that will influence the ball’s trajectory and its final resting spot. This can be thought of as a linear system—it’s very predictable and measurable.
Maybe you’ve been given the idea that your career path is predictable and measurable too. Some theories of career development state that it’s just a matter of measuring all the relevant factors (i.e., your interests, skills, personality traits, and the qualities of different occupations and work environments) and coming up with a good match.
But we all know life’s not like that. In fact, there are more unpredictable factors in our lives than predictable ones. We can never know for sure what’s going to change and impact our life’s trajectory suddenly and unexpectedly. We can therefore describe life as non-linear—it doesn’t unfold in a neat and tidy straight line.
So, let’s go back to the room with the ping-pong ball. Now, instead of standing in an empty room, you’re running on a treadmill in the gym. There are people walking around, fans keeping the air circulating, windows open, etc. What happens now when you drop the ping-pong ball? Suddenly it’s much harder to predict where the ball will end up, because there are so many dynamic factors in our non-linear system. A small change in any of those factors could lead to a large change in where the ball ends up (if it stops at all).
It doesn’t make sense to apply static ideas to a dynamic, shifting and constantly changing world of work. However, we don’t like uncertainty. We want to know.
But maybe it’s not that important to know. Maybe what’s more important is having the courage to drop that ball in the first place, and the flexibility to allow it to follow the path that it will, accepting the fact that much of it is outside your direct control.
So what can you do in the face of chaos, when nothing is certain and everything is possible?
1. Reframe indecision as open-mindedness: Being indecisive fosters a passive attitude, like you’re waiting for something to fall into your lap. Open-mindedness encourages intentional exploration and a more proactive attitude.
2. Be curious: What have you been missing out on? Being curious about new things, even if they seem scary, is the first step toward opening new doors that lead to future career possibilities.
3. Look for clues: There are all kinds of connections we don’t see in the present that seem easily explainable when we recall them later. Create your own luck! By trying new things, you increase the chance that positive unpredictable events will happen. When something feels right, go for it.
4. Take lots of small actions: Focus your energy on small things you can do now or in the near future, like volunteering, participating in clubs and groups, or talking to people working in fields you’re curious about.
5. Take stock: Things seem chaotic and unpredictable when you look at them up close, but patterns often emerge as you look at the bigger picture. Chaos theorists call this self-similarity, but it’s easier to think of it as stopping to look at the bigger picture from time to time. Knowing where you’re coming from makes this process much easier, and taking time to reflect on the patterns emerging in your life will give you as great an idea as you’ll ever get of your strengths.
Check out these other career books:
You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career, by Katherine Brooks
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need, by Daniel Pink
