The unquestionable benefit that losing your job has (As long as you do your homework in advance)

There is no doubt that losing our job is frustrating.

Our ego hurts even when we weren't enjoying it. Leaving is one thing, but being dismissed is different. However, we can't change the past once this happened.

So, better to collect our learnings and focus on the future. Consider this mind shift to discover new opportunities.

Changing our careers while working is hard

We spend some (or plenty of) time complaining about our jobs.

I'm not talking about the cliche of the programmer who dropped everything and opened a bar at the beach (however, it's also a possibility). But I'm talking about less drastic changes to make our lives more exciting—different industries, roles, or responsibilities.

While we feel "safe" in our jobs, we daydream and fantasize about new roles. But to explore them, we need to release what we earned:

• Salary
• Respect
• Confidence in our skills
• Something we know we can live with (although we don't enjoy it that much)

In hour heads, we have too much to lose. So we keep going and cope with whatever situation we face.

Until someone else decided for us, and we were fired. What a blessing for us.

Less to lose

There is no better moment than this to change our career direction.

This is when we should go after that job we've always been curious about or that one that will give us that particular skill we would love to have.

Being unemployed clears our canvas again. Let's make our first brushstrokes and start designing the future we want.

Some practical ideas:

• Apply for entry-level positions in that area.
• Enroll in free courses.
• Join communities related to that topic.

I know what you are thinking: "But hold on… I've just lost my only income. How am I supposed to start something new that will take time to flourish?"

And you are absolutely right. There are some requisites you have to fulfill before embarking on this adventure.

Homework (in advance)

You can't make long-term decisions if you have short-term needs. It's not going to work.

Before succeeding, we must repeatedly fail. So, we need some margin for failure. You can call it what you wish, but I like to save at least 6 months of my expenses.

This doesn't only apply to career changes. It's required for any slap we may receive.

If you don't have enough savings, you should start building your emergency fund (or freedom fund) so you can think long-term. Once you've lost your income, it will be too late to create it.

Conclusion

Changing careers while working is hard.

But losing our stressful jobs puts us in better conditions for that change.

After caring for our ego, we can decide what we want for our future.

But before that, we need to create an emergency fund that allows us to think long-term.

Thank you for reading. See you next time.