Imagine being maxed out. You’ve got debt to pay off. You have bills to pay monthly. And you want to save a little too. Imagine you have a good-paying job that covers it all but by pay day you’re basically back down to $0.
Now… what if, on top of your financial concerns, you also hate your job? And I’m not talking about just being annoyed by your boss or having to work overtime once-in-a-while. Imagine working harder than almost anyone who shares your same job title, being relied on for skills no one else has, and not receiving any recognition for your efforts while the slackers are constantly praised.
Can you also imagine making less than everyone else, even though you have more seniority than some of the other people on your team? Not only do you make less than them now, but you were also started at a lower wage than a guy who was hired 6 months after you. Would you be looking for a new job?
If we’ve chatted (or you’ve read) on Twitter, you probably know that I am trying to get out of this exact situation. After four, longgg years, I am finally ready to find a new job. Yes, I have applied around before, been interviewed, and even been offered jobs… but something was always holding me back. I’m going to call it stupidity, but it was probably fear.
There are so many things to consider, when making a career move. What will the hours be? What will the pay be? What will your new boss and coworkers be like? And will you like the work? But for someone who has debt, and who is living paycheque-to-paycheque (oh, hello – that’s me!), the biggest concern is something you may not always consider: When is your first pay day?
If your pay periods change with your new job, you may have to wait 1, 2, or sometimes 3 weeks for a paycheque. And if you don’t have some money stashed or an emergency fund ready, you can potentially feel paralyzed by your debt.
As most of you know, I was contacted by 2 different jobs that I recently applied for and yesterday I spent 5 hours completing written tests for both! For once, I feel incredibly confident that my test results will get me interviews and, if either job makes an offer, I am going to accept!
Living at home rent-free has left me in the best position to make a career move. As long as I don’t take any time off between jobs, the pay periods should stay the same, and I should have no concerns about missing a pay day.
Have you changed jobs while living with debt? Did you miss a pay day? And how did the new job work out?
