- Wise Words -
It's personal.
Take advice with a pinch of salt
by drew ammirati
Drew Ammirati sets out some tips for being in a good place throughout your career and life.:
Importance of Taking Time Out Money Management Keep Relationships Alive And the big one, saved for the end: that it is your life and your goals so take all advice with a pinch of salt. Only you can know what is right for you. This is core to all "tips". What works for one person may not work for all and by knowing yourself you will decide what is best for you. As Drew says, read this piece but live your life for yourself! Get some downtime I’m not talking about taking vacation time while you’re working, though that is important to do and hope that you take advantage of the time that is provided to you as part of your benefits package. In addition to this think about getting a break between gigs. If you plan ahead and negotiate a start date four weeks after you receive your offer you should be able to exit your company well but also get a nice break before your new role. We spend so much of our lives working; I strongly recommend that you embrace the few times in your life where you can take a break from the daily grind. As well as allowing you to enjoy your life, another reason to take a break is so that you can arrive at your new job refreshed and ready to make the most of your new opportunity. Remember that the job search and leaving a company can be stressful so if you take time out before your new role you will be in a good place for the next stress test: getting yourself established in your new job. Money: Budget, Save, and Invest “I should have saved more…” is a common refrain from professionals in their twenties as well as those close to retirement age! When you start your career, create a monthly budget for yourself and keep to it. Creating a budget and monitoring your monthly expenses is a great way to keep track of your spending habits. Priority 1 is to make sure you are starting to think about saving for retirement and paying down your student loans.
Once you've done that, find opportunities to save more as this will help you in the event an unplanned expense comes up and will help you get a down payment for a house when the time is right for you. Sticking to a budget will not be easy and some months you will end up spending more than you may have budgeted, but if you keep track and monitor the flow of your funds it will only make you that much wiser when it comes to your money. For more on money saying check out the I Will Teach You To Be Rich blog which contains some really good advice as well as read Coach Ron's column on Money advice. Network Whatever industry you may fall into, it is extremely helpful, and almost required, to have a strong network. If think of your career as a house, networking is its foundation. It will open up many new opportunities and could be the reason you land an exciting new position. Follow up with past colleagues, even if it is a simple email or text every few months. Linkedin is a useful tool to grow and track your network as well as ask for referrals to company's where you want to work where your contact has someone in their network who can help you (see this USA Today article for more tips on LinkedIn). It is very helpful to have a handful of past colleagues that you can contact for advice when new situations arise. Everybody is different Take every bit of advice that someone tells you (yes, even this – I won’t be offended) with a grain of salt. Every situation is unique. Exceptions happen. You can talk with multiple people and they will provide you with different advice so, in the end, its up to you to decide what is best and have no regrets. Life is for living! Good luck and I would love your feedback or tips so please send them my way: drewammirati@gmail.com
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