could make, like taking a class at the local community college. For example, you might try replacing word processing by upgrading already good typing skills to excellent for data entry or learning Excel and QuickBooks to modernize bookkeeping abilities so that you are more marketable.
3. Need or want?
What’s driving you to reinvent yourself? Is it a need for more income so that you aren’t faced with a choice between gas for your car to get to work and food and/or medicine that would sustain you? Or is it a want for extra spending money for a pricey experience: tickets to an epic concert with an in-demand performer, dinner at a five-star restaurant, or a new designer handbag or a pair of sneakers? How much would you like to earn in your new role?
Part-time pay is usually less than full-time salaries and offers no benefits, like healthcare or retirement, which may be solid considerations as you age. Also, you may have an earning cap on how much you can earn while working if you are on a fixed income. These are all factors that should be weighed before not after getting the job.
4. Define your location.
Where do you see yourself working? Local or remote? On-site with a commute, a hybrid schedule where you pop into the office a few times a week, or work from home 100% of the time? The choices are almost endless and can be a real perk. Again, it requires an honest inventory to realistically assess who you are and how and where you work best.
A remote job requires discipline and if you are working from home, you may feel like you are or should be working all of the time. While comfortable, and with saving money on gas and wardrobe, it requires self-control to filter out the temptations of TV and fridge or thinking about doing the laundry and noticing neglected household chores, along with a myriad of other distractions that may claim your attention instead of focusing on your work.
5. Redefine yourself.
Self-evaluation aside, how do you see yourself redefined? As a manager or as an employee? Blue, white, or gray collar? With a dead-end, low-stress job or climbing the corporate ladder? Do you see yourself as a twenty-first-century entrepreneur or an independent contractor accepting or declining projects as you like? Do you prefer doing physical or mental labor? With any of these options, you are making a valuable contribution.
You know yourself best of all. You know what you can handle and what you are and aren’t willing to tolerate. You have had significant work experience before. Now it’s time to revamp your professional brand and move forward. Use an employment setback as a setup for success and you will do more than survive. Knowing yourself first and foremost gives you more choices and equips you to overcome challenges. See your previous job/career as a stepping stone on the path to greatness and rise higher!