Amplify Financial : Job Transitions

Job Transitions

Downsizing is one reason you may be seeking a new career. Reaching a professional plateau is another. The fact is that many people change careers, sometimes more than once. Losing your job is an emotional experience—whether you are laid off or fired, whether you quit or retire. Your feelings of self-worth are tied more closely to your job than you realize. Although you’re certainly entitled to relax awhile after your job ends, don’t let your need to relax become an excuse to avoid facing your future. The more time that passes, the more likely you’ll feel anxious and depressed about your future. Here are three tips on what you can do to keep yourself moving:

• Pretend that you’re still working. You’ve probably heard the adage that finding a job is a full-time job. Well, it’s usually true. So why not pretend that you’re still working? You don’t have to get dressed up for this job, but at least get out of bed at the same time, make yourself a cup of coffee, and get going. Stop for lunch and then work again until late afternoon. Keep moving, and you’ll accomplish your goal of finding a new job with a lot less anxiety.
• Set daily and weekly goals. Get a calendar and write down what you want to accomplish each day for one week. Be specific and reasonable. Don’t write “call future employers” Instead, write “call the human resource departments at five publishing companies.” Then, write down what your weekly goal will be. You might write: “compile a list of five potential employers and send resumes to them.” Setting goals will help you feel in control of your fate and will ultimately help you get a job.
• Reward yourself. Looking for a job is tough, so after a long, hard day of job-hunting, reward yourself. For instance, promise yourself in the morning that if you accomplish everything on your list by three o’clock, you can go to the matinee of the movie you’ve wanted to see

When you lose your job, you probably won’t be able to live the same way you lived when you had a job. If you try to live the same way, there’s a good chance you won’t survive financially. Keep in mind that even though you’re on a financial diet, no diet lasts forever. At some point, you’ll find another job and the crisis will pass. Therefore, you want to be especially careful that the decisions you make now aren’t shortsighted. Do what you can to survive, but only do what you really have to.

Dan wants to help you manage these kinds of transitions and identify the best cash management strategies to see you through them. He offers a complementary 30-minute consultation to help you identify the financial strategy that’s best for you. Please contact Linda Koop at 512-519-5476 or use our contact form to set up an appointment.