your opportunity safety net

Everyone says you should have 6 months of expenses saved in case you get laid off.

I think that’s great advice, but I also think it’s only half of your safety net. Or maybe it’s the net without any supporting structure. (…metaphor mondays…)

The other half (or the support structure) is your rolodex. It’s the people you can call the next day and expect at least one of them will have a line on an opportunity for you - and would be willing to introduce you.

If you have this safety net, you get to keep your savings! You get to make good long term decisions instead of taking the first job that comes around. And having this network isn’t just a safety net - it can be an annual check-in so your career doesn’t go stagnant.

So here’s your homework for the week: write those names down. If you have fewer than 20, you should probably start paying in to that savings account.

Let me know what you think! Do you have this kind of opportunity safety net?

Otherwise, see you Wednesday!

— Clark