Jobseeker’s Diary

You must know about the News International scandal that resulted in the closure of the News of the World, one of Britain’s best-selling papers. Typical case of the grass paying the price when gigantic elephants fight. The whole incident got me thinking about something I worry about often. What if you woke up one day and had no job? There’re many reasons people lose jobs. Misconduct, poor performance perhaps. But what about those times when you have done absolutely nothing wrong but find yourself out of work? Like staff at the News of The World where actions of a few individuals, some of whom no longer even work at the establishment have cost many their jobs? Makes you want to grab the troublemakers by their collars and ask them to pay your bills and get you a new job, doesn’t it? For many of us who totally rely on our jobs for survival, the thought of having a job today and losing it the next is terrifying. I’ve not been at my new job even a month and I’ve already made plans for my salary. Imagine what would happen if I lost the job before I got paid. Total disaster, which is why I’ve taken it upon myself to look up some things you can do to prepare for that day should it come. First, don’t get too comfortable in your current job. For most of us, once we land that job we’ve been chasing for months, or years for some, we relax. No more queuing to see the Human Resource Manager of company A or worrying about the next interview. We think the battle is won. It’s good to settle into a job, especially one you like but don’t forget that losing a job is a lot easier than find one. I was interviewed for my current job many months ago and if I’d just resigned myself to the restaurant job, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Also, don’t delete your contacts and those resourceful people with connections. Continue to “hawk” your resume. And if there’s an opportunity to learn something new, grab it. May be you work in the Sales Department but have friends in the IT or Accounts departments, learn a few things from them and you could use these at your next job. Save for the rainy day I don’t walk this talk often but I’m working on it. We need to give some serious thought to saving instead of spending everything we earn. And where we do spend, let it be wisely. It’s okay to have fun and buy the nice things. You work hard, you deserve it. But, try not to spend beyond your means. Then there are the bank loans that are so tempting. Most of those loans are spent on luxurious goods like cars which only take more money out of your wallet on insurance, fuel and servicing. Then God forbid you lose the job and can’t even afford to fuel the car but the bank still expects the monthly payment. Think twice before you take that loan. I know people who juggle two or three jobs at a time. When I ask how they do it, I usually get the same answers. Discipline and focus. You could teach some kids in the evening or over the weekend, start a small chicken project or pool funds with friends and open a hair salon. You can hire people to work there and just follow up on the proceeds. You’ll have something to fall back on in tough times. Don’t forget to befriend the HR and boss if you can. In the event that the company is just downsizing, you’ll have a higher chance of being asked to stay on. But even when business is closing, you will get a good recommendation which you will need for your next job search. Remember we don’t have unemployment benefits or severance packages as people in the developed world do so we must plan for those tough times. To be continued...nsophie77@yahoo.com