Should you have a career plan?

Arts careers are notoriously erratic but fortune favours the prepared mind. Successful people reveal the way they have balanced directing their careers with being open to unexpected opportunities.
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Arts careers are often described as non-linear, based on seizing opportunities rather than following a predictable path. ​Landing a position as an artistic director, actually getting published or finding oneself in demand as a performer is often described as a ‘surprise’ by many in the top of their field,  who see only with hindsight how the past has created the present.

But serendipity and hard work aside, should aspirants even try to plan a career in the arts?

Shannah Kennedy is the author of The Life Plan, an instruction manual to reconnect with what you want in your life and career is an advocate for the planning approach.

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Madeleine Dore
About the Author
Madeleine Dore is a freelance writer and founder of Extraordinary Routines, an interview project exploring the intersection between creativity and imperfection. She is the previous Deputy Editor at ArtsHub. Follow her on Twitter at @RoutineCurator