5 WAYS TO MAKE ENDS MEET IF YOU’RE BETWEEN JOBS
by: Lisa Walker (Contributing Writer) | published: January 17, 2021
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who’s out of work due to the pandemic, it’s very possible to make ends meet until a promising new job opportunity comes your way. These five strategies from Prosper Pathways will help you to reduce spending, find temporary or permanent work opportunities, and sharpen your skills to improve your job prospects and boost the future of your career.
1. Cut Spending
Being unemployed doesn’t mean cutting out all forms of fun and entertainment, but it is important to reduce your spending and cut back on as many unnecessary expenses as possible. To do it, DollarSanity recommends performing an audit of your recurring expenses (like cable and satellite television) and replacing them with more affordable options (like Netflix, Hulu, or streaming sites such as Crackle or Vudu).
2. Work Online
To make ends meet when you’re between jobs — while enjoying the benefits of working from home — you could work online as a virtual assistant, blogger, Amazon seller, teacher or tutor, bookkeeper, or transcriptionist. Making Cents of Cents shares 17 of the best online jobs that could earn you more than $1,000 a month!
3. Join the Gig Economy
Like online employment opportunities, gig work is perfect for those who are between jobs and looking to make ends meet. Different types of gig work include:
- Freelancing
- Ride-sharing and delivering
- Photography
- Instagram marketing
- Security testing
To find gig-based and online work opportunities, check out websites like FlexJobs, Upwork, Freelancer.com, Toptal, and TaskRabbit. If you’re interested in driving or delivery, visit online job platforms such as DoorDash, Instacart, Amazon Flex, and Postmates.
4. Look for Permanent Work
Even if you’ve landed an online job or joined the gig economy, you may be looking for a permanent work opportunity that offers steady pay, health insurance coverage, and other perks like paid time off (PTO). To improve your chances of finding a job that suits your skills and qualifications, be sure to fine-tune your hard and soft skills, make connections on LinkedIn, update your resume and cover letter, and post your resume on job search websites such as CareerBuilder and Indeed.
5. Sharpen Your Skills
If you’re between jobs, this could be the perfect time to go back to school and build on your existing hard and soft skills. Whether you’re interested in furthering your knowledge of accounting, information technology (IT), or teaching and education, plenty of affordable and flexible online degree programs are available to choose from.
If you’re interested in growing your financial skills and becoming a certified public accountant (CPA), you can easily obtain an online degree in accounting. Or, if you’d like to become an expert in the technology realm, you could obtain an online degree in information technology.
The Bottom Line
Losing a job can feel devastating, especially when you’ve got bills to pay and loved ones to support financially. But to help you plan for the future and overcome this financial hardship, it may be worthwhile to meet with an experienced financial advisor. Pro-bono assistance is available, or you could meet with a banker at your current financial institution. You can also obtain free financial advice by listening to podcasts and visiting websites like Millennial Money, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), and Dave Ramsey.
Unemployment is tough, but these five strategies will help you to get by. From pursuing online jobs to going back to school, you won’t just make ends meet — you’ll boost your career prospects and fine-tune your financial future!
Are you ready to pursue your purpose? Are you looking for advice and resources on budgeting, goal setting, career planning, and time management? Visit Prosper Pathways to book your Free Strategy Session! 800-975-1145; remie@prosperpathways.com