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You might be working in your dream job, or you might be facing the boss from hell. One thing is certain, it is not “if” you lose your job, it is “when”. Dream jobs can be taken away. You will lose the motivation to stay with boss from hell. Whatever the reasons may be, the sooner you accept the fact that you will lose your job, the better prepared you will get.
We are never ready, only prepared. ~ Warrior Nun
So how do you get prepared? Here are 5 suggestions:
It almost goes without saying that you need money, but how much money is enough? Some financial gurus suggest 3 to 6 months worth of expenses. In “normal” times, this is reasonable as you can probably get another job within that time frame. However, if you are older or holds a more senior role, or if the world is hit with some super virus, 3 to 6 months might not be enough. It can take 1 to 2 years before you can actually find a job. For the truly brave, try 5 years. That will truly change the way you think about war chest. In fact, if you can go 5 years without a job, you’re most likely financially independent.
Always always always keep your work network alive. I cannot stress this enough. This is the key to future opportunities, and I am not even talking about jobs. You will meet people in your working life. Get their contact, talk to them, share stories. LinkedIn has made this very easy. If you’re not on it, get on it. Be nice and respectful. Nobody owes you anything.
And speaking of LinkedIn, keep your profile there updated with your strengths. Update your network on what you’ve been up to. Keep it professional, and not post a picture of the meal you’re having (unless you’re running a food business of course). Have a ready CV for recruiters. Always be talking to recruiters. Keep them updated too.
Don’t stop learning just because you left school. Continue your journey. Read books. Get a distraction free reading device like a kobo. Take courses. Be mindful what you put into your mind and that mind will serve you well. The more popular saying for this is “garbage in, garbage out”. Hence I do not suggest you read the news. Here’s why. You should check out the book too, aptly titled “Stop reading the news”.
This will take a bit of effort to build up. And it never is obvious where this source may come from. So be creative. Be open. Trust in serendipity. Start small. In fact, don’t even start until you can validate your idea. Jakob of Early Retirement Extreme fame has 20 income sources.
That’s it. Do you have more? I would like to hear from you.
