In Money Monday Part 1 – Setting and Sticking to a Realistic Budget I spoke a lot of budgeting, as that is the first step for anyone trying to create or build their financial portfolio. Then in both Money Mondays Part 2 – Take Advantage of Company Sponsored Benefits and Money Mondays Part 3 – Investing…Start Off Small we started going into saving and starting your investment portfolio. In this chapter I want to talk about another type of investment which I feel like is often overlooked….YOURSELF.
I have a lot of very smart and hardworking family and friends but one constant that I notice is that people get comfortable and complacent in their workplace…one of the biggest mistakes you can make especially if you’re young and a hustler. Us millennials have set a new normal in the workplace, if you can’t match me and my work ethic then I am OUT! Now this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do the actual work because you DEF DO! However, don’t be afraid to ask for a raise, promotion, equity, etc. Don’t sell yourself short!
Investment Tip #1 – Invest in a Coach
Investment in a job/career coach can be extremely rewarding. Our brains our preprogrammed in so many ways which can affect how we see and value ourselves as individuals and in the workplace. Investing in a job coach can help you build the confidence and help you (re)discover your value. They can help you find strengths and skills that you may have forgotten or never knew you had. They are experts in making you an interview superstar and can really add some jazz to an existing resume. I know a lot of people who were in a mental or career rut and reached out to a job coach and have all said that it was life changing. Stop coasting through your career and start thriving!
Invest Tip #2 – Invest in Courses, Business, Your Creativity….
When I say its important to invest your money, I also mean invest in the one thing that you know cannot and will not fail….and that is YOURSELF! If you need to go back to school or get a certification that’s going to guarantee you that higher salary then do it. If you know you have what it takes to get your business off the ground and profitable, then invest in it and start it sooner than later. Whatever investing in yourself looks like, do it. An investment in yourself is one of the best you can make.
Investment Tip #3 – Demand Your Worth and Add Tax
Another self investment tip, don’t let your job get so comfortable with you that you’re accepting less than you deserve. In 2017 I was working for a company that paid me what I thought was the norm for that role and position. Within one year I learned that I was easily making $10,000-$20,000 less than the industry standard. When I brought it up to them at my review and they couldn’t match what I was being offered by competitors because ‘the company was going through a reorg’, I packed my bags up and moved to a new company within weeks. The new company saw my value and even gave me a promotion and raise in less than a year of being there. That’s when I realized the importance of being with a company that honors and appreciates hard work.
