If you find yourself struggling to make ends meet and are stressfully living paycheck to paycheck, it might be time to consider a new profession. When accepting a new position, consider these questions and learn how you can enjoy the advantages of having a stable job, experience financial freedom, and live life to the fullest.
Preparing for a stable job
Most people spend years in school and work hard to pursue a solid education. Understandably, they have a positive return on years and years of stressful studying. When moving to advanced education such as college or trade school, make sure you are researching the job market and the future of the career you are working towards. There are plenty of online resources and advisors who can help estimate certain jobs’ profitability in the future.
Does my salary align with my budget?
One of the first and most obvious ways to achieve financial freedom is to find a job so that you have a source of income. A stable job means a stable income. Before accepting the position, make sure that your take-home pay will be in line with your budget. Create a budget and look at your living expenses such as rent, mortgage, child care, electricity, phone, and groceries. Determine if your salary will cover these basic needs from day to day. Make sure to leave room for savings in case of emergency and leisure activities. Having a budget and allowing room for unforeseen expenses means you can have less stress and more fun.
Does my job provide benefits and professional growth?
Ensuring your job has good benefits and room for advancement can also ensure your chances for success. A stable company will always offer their valued employees benefits in return for their services. This may be in the form of compensation, such as a percentage of the company’s profits, a pay increase, or can include other things like medical insurance and vacation time. Your advanced skills, reliability, and enthusiasm should always be rewarded.
A major benefit that a stable company will provide its employees is paid time off and job security. Is your company lenient, and is your boss understanding of days you may need to take off for being sick? And even better, are you still going to be compensated? Make sure to consider this when negotiating benefits.
Invest in your future
Being able to set aside money for the future is important and helpful to provide for your family and your children. Some jobs will contribute to an employee’s retirement fund or match a 401K. There are many ways to invest a percentage of your income into stocks or financial opportunities to create wealth. Short-term and long-term investment opportunities are available with calculated risks and a guarantee to create more income for yourself. Having enough disposable income to invest instead of living paycheck to paycheck is a good indicator that you have a stable job.
Is the stress worth it?
An unstable job is very stressful. Several studies show that financial strain can result in increased anxiety and depression at home and in the workplace. Typically those who are unhappy at work are less productive and less reliable because they are constantly worrying. So many people today are forced to work too many hours.
This combination can lead to overall health issues and ultimately lead to more expensive doctor bills.
A stable job allows you to balance work with your home life. Being satisfied with your purpose and time away from home is another great advantage of job stability. It will allow you to enjoy financial freedom, have memorable experiences with friends and family and live life to the fullest!