It is hard to know if we are headed out of the recession or not. Some indicators point to yes, others, not so much. What I do know is that the end of Unemployment Insurance benefits will be ending for thousands of people in the upcoming months. This means you should be thinking about Survival Mode.
Securing a "Survival Job" takes months sometimes. Start planning today, for what you will do "if" you don't have a job by the end of your unemployment benefits.
What are some good survival jobs?
Anything in the service sector. Create a list of jobs you could do if you had to.
Some ideas might include: Facility maintenance, retail, telemarketing/customer service, bar tending/serving, landscaping/snow removal. There isn't a shortage of these jobs. Typically there is a higher rate of turnover, so jobs become available more often.
Is this hard to swallow? You haven't worked a retail job since high school. It is beneath you. It is embarrassing. You will never regain your social stature again.
My hunch is, in December/January, we will see a lot more ex-professionals entering into these jobs. So, you won't be alone.
I hear some of you saying that $8/hour isn't going to cover your mortgage and bills. You are correct! Guess what that means? You may have to work more than one job. And still that isn't enough? How else can you make money? Have you sold off all the gadgets and stuff you don't need? Cleaning house is a short term solution, but might net some cash.
I have friends who are holding on to their boats, paying for childcare, and drinking Starbucks while collecting unemployment...they'll probably need to re-evaluate this, and soon.
Have you really hunkered down and made deep cuts in your personal budget? Really, I mean slashed everything un-necessary. I am pretty frugal, forced rather than opted. One of the questions I ask myself a lot is "Do I want this or do I need this?" If you aren't familiar with Suze Orman, I recommend you read her information and watch her on television. She's smart and no-nonsense!
We have great lessons to learn from this experience. We'll need to remove the silver spoon from our mouths. We'll need to accept the fact that our jobs do not necessarily define us. We need to do what we need to do to survive. These skills are foreign to most mid-level professionals. They have built a career and never thought they would be in this situation. It isn't fair. But it is real.
At least make a plan, if you don't need it, it was worth the piece of mind.
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