I recently watched a video where someone said, “Lucky people put themselves in positions to be lucky.”
That line stuck with me.
People sometimes describe a new job, business opportunity, or important introduction as being in the right place at the right time. There is definitely some luck involved, but first, you have to put yourself in the place where those opportunities can find you.
For me, that has often meant showing up, talking to people, asking questions, and being willing to introduce myself even when I did not know exactly where the conversation would lead.
Sometimes You Just Have to Show Up
Over the years, I have built many relationships in the construction industry. Some began at organized networking events, while others started through committee meetings, volunteer opportunities, introductions, or a quick conversation before an event began.
Not every conversation has to result in new business or an immediate opportunity. Sometimes you simply meet someone you enjoy talking to. You may share a laugh, learn something new, or find out that you have more in common than you expected.
Those connections can still become meaningful over time.
The person you meet today may introduce you to someone else, recommend your company, share an opportunity, offer advice, or become a friend. You really never know where a relationship will lead.
That is why showing up matters.
Networking Does Not Have to Feel Uncomfortable
I know the word “networking” can make some people picture a room full of name tags, rehearsed introductions, and business cards being passed around. It does not have to be that serious.
At its best, networking is simply getting to know people.
C3 events such as our Networking Golf Clinic and Annual Golf Classic give people from different parts of the commercial construction industry a reason to spend time together. You might meet a future customer, employer, mentor, partner, or friend. You might also spend an afternoon laughing at golf swings that did not go quite as planned. Either way, you connected with people you may not have met during your normal workday.
You do not have to work the room or talk to everyone there. Start with one conversation. Ask someone what they do, how they became involved in construction, or what they enjoy about the industry. Most people appreciate someone showing a genuine interest in them.
Let’s Make Networking More Fun
C3 is also exploring an industry-wide Secret Santa, and I am genuinely excited about this idea.
We would match each participant with someone outside their own organization and, when possible, someone from a different part of the industry. Then, we would bring everyone together in one room for dinner, networking, and a gift exchange.
The gift is part of the fun, but the real purpose is to help people meet someone they may not normally have an opportunity to know.
You could be matched with someone from an owner organization, a general contractor, a specialty contractor, a supplier, or another corner of the construction industry. Hopefully, everyone would enjoy a good meal, make a new connection, share a few laughs, and leave knowing at least one more person than they did when they arrived.
And yes, there is always the possibility of receiving a very questionable Secret Santa gift. At least it would give everyone something to talk about.
The Same Is True for Job Seekers
Putting yourself in a position to be lucky is not only about business networking. It also applies to people who are working to begin a career in construction.
Someone may appear lucky when they meet a contractor who is hiring, but think about everything that had to happen first. They may have enrolled in a skilled-trades program, earned a credential, prepared a resume, registered for a hiring event, and gathered the courage to introduce themselves to an employer.
Each of those steps moved them closer to an opportunity.
C3 works with training and workforce development partners to help individuals prepare for careers in construction. We also bring candidates and contractors together through hiring events.
A candidate may arrive hoping to find one particular job and leave having learned about a trade or career path they had never considered. They may meet someone who remembers them when another position becomes available. That can look like luck from the outside, but it started with the decision to attend.
Construction Is a Relationship Business
Construction is built on relationships. Owners, contractors, specialty contractors, suppliers, educators, and workforce partners all depend on one another. The stronger those relationships are, the stronger our industry becomes.
That is one of the reasons I enjoy helping create opportunities for people to connect. Whether it happens at a golf event, hiring event, committee meeting, volunteer opportunity, or Secret Santa dinner, you never know which conversation may make a difference.
There is no guarantee that attending one event will lead to a new job, contract, or partnership. But staying home guarantees that you will not meet anyone new that day.
So, attend the event. Learn the trade. Join the dinner. Introduce yourself. Ask the question. Follow up afterward. And whenever possible, make someone smile along the way.
What looks like luck may really be the result of being prepared, being present, and being open to meeting someone new.
Put yourself in the room. You never know who might be waiting to meet you.
