Your Career Needs a Plan B
Attorney Bernie is getting ready to create a plan B for her career.
Your Career Needs a Plan B
Reimagining the career + success formula to withstand changes in economy, politics and global pandemics.
There are some common rules of preparedness in modern society. Make sure that you carry some cash on you. Keep your head on swivel, especially if you live in big cities. Make sure your home is stocked with food, especially if there is a bad snowstorm brewing (for all my northern baddies). Make sure your devices are fully charged. Make sure you have gas in your tank. Make sure you have a decent supply of toilet paper!
Rarely do I hear, “make sure you have a plan B for your career. “ And given the times that we live in, it is imperative to have backup plans for how you are going to meet your financial obligations. Listen, people don’t want to hear this advice. It’s not fun. It’s not inspiring. It’s not motivational. But, it is practical.
Layoffs, burnout, economic volatility – any number of things can force you out of a job. Lately, it feels like more and more people are struggling to find work after losing their job. Not only is it disruptive to our finances, it is disruptive to our overall well-being. Many people have been laid off from their dream job. Many people have been laid off from a job that they held for decades. Many people have been laid off from a job that they hated but paid enough to maintain their lifestyle.
Many of these people are lost and don’t know what to do in this modern job market. It is a very different job market than even 5 years ago. And while the times we are in feel dire, stressful, hopeless and scary, there are still things that we can do to make sure that we are prepared to weather the storm. Now, conventional advice for those that get fired or laid off include:
Making sure you have a 6-month emergency fund
Updating your resume
Searching job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed
Reaching out to your network to let them know you are available for work
Given the times we are in, that advice is not enough.
Creating a plan B for your career is more than doing these things because there are not enough jobs to meet the demand. And it’s probably going to be this way for some time. I believe that our society is in the middle of a reset. I feel like we are in the painful middle of that process where we are all trying to understand all that has gone wrong, especially as it relates to the job market.
You should absolutely do all of these things (maybe try to save up for a year as it has taken many that long to find their next job). But you should also consider this:
Identify your transferrable skills. You may be in a low demand profession where finding a new job could take a long time. Instead of just waiting for that particular job, consider what skills you have that can be easily used in another job. Think about the time you developed a new initiative at your job. You probably gained project management skills for that role. You may have been in a role that required you to manage social media, though it wasn’t your primary responsibility and you could be a social media manager.
Explore alternative career paths. Look, I’m not saying you need to go back to school, but if ever there was a time to explore other career paths, now is the time to do so. You can go back to school if there’s something that compels you or that you always wanted to do. Or, you could get a certificate, take a course or use online platforms like YouTube to practice new skills.
Get a part-time job. This is pretty straightforward. At least, you’ll still have some income coming in. There are so many part-time jobs from working in the gig economy, a local business or becoming a virtual assistant. Not always ideal, but a viable option.
Become a freelancer. The freelance economy has seen significant growth since the pandemic. I don’t believe that it’s just because people want flexible work, more companies are outsourcing different aspects of their work to freelancers. You can build up a client portfolio and/or leverage online freelance platforms to find work. Online platforms have become oversaturated and people often complain about being paid less, but they are an option for those that want the flexibility that they offer. Just know that it may take a longer time to build a client base that way.
Start a side hustle. Although I don’t like the toxic nature of hustle culture and work ‘til you drop, I do think most of us need some form of secondary income. Starting a side business while you still have a job gives you the time to test out your idea and earn extra money on the side. And, I would encourage you to think outside-the-box. Maybe you are an amazing baker. What’s something that you can do differently to stand out in a competitive marketplace? Unique designs? Healthy, but yummy? What story do you want to tell?
Start a business. Besides, starting a side hustle can lead to a full-time business. Or at least you would be closer to that goal if you were laid off from your job. Maybe you always wanted to open a restaurant or a bookkeeping business. When the job market is shaky, there is always room for new opportunity, especially if your offering meets an unmet demand within the marketplace.
Modern society is expensive and most people already need more than one source of income. If you don’t, you should at least put a plan in place for how you are going to navigate any changes to your employment status. Want to create a Plan B for your career? Download our Career Contingency Plan to help you develop a plan for your career to weather any storm that brews in modern society. Curious about the story behind the story? Check out my latest Hustle Rewritten Substack, The Career + Success Narrative…Need a Rewrite, for real talk. Ready to rethink how you show up to the hustle? Explore our Hustle Rewritten Rebel Work Sessions to start designing work that works for you—not against you. Explore the world of Sassy | Chic | Geek, check us out on YouTube and Pinterest.