Deciding to Find a New Job or Start a Business

Deciding to Find a New Job or Start a Business

Are You Bored? Granted, every day can’t be dancing with the stars or hitting a hole in one. Most jobs have their downsides: coordinating schedules, handling email, or keeping demanding people happy. But when the downsides overpower the pleasant parts of a job, you wake up one morning and realize the scales have tipped. You’re bored. Instead, of hating to shut down and go to bed, you dread to get up and go to work. Sure, you may enjoy the people around you, the physical environment, or the culture. But you discover the work no longer intrigues you, fulfills you, or gives you joy. You start to ask yourself questions: Is it too late to make a career change? How important is the money compared to my personal fulfillment? Or maybe even how long until retirement? Do Your Eyes Light Up About Other Projects? You may resign yourself to staying in a job that’s not your “dream job,” but that “makes sense” for the...
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25 Small Business Start-Up Ideas

25 Small Business Start-Up Ideas

If you dream of clocking out of your nine-to-five job for the last time and becoming your own boss, you’ve probably considered a variety of small business ideas. But, while you have plenty of passion, direction can be hard to find. 1. Handyman Are you always fixing things around the house? Often on call when friends need small projects completed? Put together a website, figure out what your time and expertise is worth, and start asking those thankful friends for referrals. 2. Woodworker Similarly, if you have a passion for crafting beautiful furniture or other home goods out of wood -- there’s demand for that. List a few of your pieces on sites like Etsy, eBay, or Craigslist. Once you build a following, consider starting a website, accepting custom orders, or expanding to refinishing work and upholstery. 3. Online dating consultant Dating consultants usually charge for their time. They help people create successful online dating profiles, source possible matches from outside normal online channels, and offer a level of...
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PITFALLS TO AVOID WHEN GETTING A NEW JOB

PITFALLS TO AVOID WHEN GETTING A NEW JOB

I once had a client, Ann, who came to me in a panic right after starting a new job. Prior to our initial meeting, the company had been aggressively recruiting her for a position that sounded exciting. However, a few weeks after she accepted the job, her hours, her work location, and title were not what she and the employer had discussed during negotiations. …Sound familiar? I hear about workplace minefields like this all the time. Ann was devastated. And rightfully so—there’s nothing worse than starting a job that turns out to be completely different than you discussed with the employer. You may even be questioning whether you should have left your last job or whether you can get your old job back. Not a fun situation to be in. That’s why a big focus of my work as a career coach is making sure employees are going after companies and positions that are actually good for them. After all, that’s a win for...
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What happens when your pension fund runs out of money

What happens when your pension fund runs out of money

Now, they're thinking about selling their home and skipping their annual trip to Maine. They've already dipped into their savings. This is not the retirement they planned for. After working for 30 years as a truck driver for UPS, Van Alstyne was promised $5,141 a month by the The New York State Teamsters Conference Pension and Retirement Fund. "I hated the job from day one, but I stayed with it because I was promised a secure pension," said Van Alstyne, now 64. When he retired in 2006, he was receiving his full pension. But the fund was hit hard during the financial crisis and never fully recovered. A 2016 report projected it would run out of money as soon as 2026.   To save it from going bust, the fund cut current retirees' benefits last year by 29%. Van Alstyne's pension fell to $3,650 a month. Read More ...
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