Do you have a "backup job" plan B?

I was just curious if you have a backup plan in case you were to get laid off, fired, or contract is ending. If not, perhaps you should?? I know that unemployment benefits are an option, but they won't pay nearly as much as I would be making while FTE.

I actually went after my real estate license back in 2013 and passed it, but I was really busy at my MSP job at the time and did not send in my test results to the AR RE Commission within 4mos of passing both law/general exams. I should have immediately sent in the results & went as inactive status. That was idiotic on my part, but I had like 4 office moves at my MSP job & I was totally stressed out.

I am thinking about going back after it again, yeah, it will definitely cost me another $500-600, but it will be a backup plan if my contract is not renewed in April 2019.

I have also been thinking about Upwork and Flexjobs as part-time gigs to help save up for unexpected expenses.

Your thoughts/comments are welcome.

Cheers & Hi5!

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Comments

McxRisley

To be honest, this is my plan B lol I was orignally a music major and spent several years traveling around with the bands I played in before and during college. IT was always my backup plan if that didnt work out and I think you know how my music career turned out since I am on this site lol

Node Man

i always have several next career moves on the back burner. i dont have plan b's, i have next plans

scaredoftests

I always have a backup plan. Since I am a jack(lyn) of all trades..I can try to apply for almost anything. If not, I could always be a dog walker.

PCTechLinc

I envy people with multiple skillsets... I have no other marketable skills other than IT, since I've been focusing on computers since I was little. When I got laid off, both times I was scrambling to find something else. The only things that helped me the last time I got laid off were my severance and my part-time teaching (IT classes). :-/

cyberguypr

My plan B is actually answering to the endless array of recruiters that hit me up on LinkedIn.

no!all!

I don't necessarily have a plan B if I do get laid off, but I wouldn't mind selling tacos on the beach in the Caribbean. That's my real dream job right there...

shochan

Yeah, buy yourself a hotdog cart as a backup plan...then just set it up in front of a busy local dive bar...you would make some moola for sure! 8^D

NetworkNewb

Nope... I actually quit one of my first IT jobs 4-5 years ago without another job lined up at the time. The IT department got a new manager who was horrible and micro managed the heck out of everyone. I was actually the last of 4 people who hadn't left to go somewhere else. (I was doing interviews at the time though). I got a job offer the very next day after I quit and turned it down because they wouldn't offer me what I wanted. :P Got a couple more job offers in the next couple weeks and chose one of those.

Keep your resume and skills up to date. I also look at the Indeed app on my phone a few times a week and see what positions are out and what things they are asking for.

But if you want to be a realtor and as long as there is a demand for realtors in your area and you know you can get clients... I'd say go for it. If don't mind working weekends and odd hours realtors have a pretty dang easy job imo, if they can stay busy that is.

EANx

shochan wrote: »

I was just curious if you have a backup plan in case you were to get laid off, fired, or contract is ending.

Absolutely. I have a stack of business cards from contacts and if I haven't been networking in a while, I force myself to do so to keep on people's radar. For most IT people, business networking is like insurance, something you hate until you need it. If I was out on the street tomorrow, I'd be surprised if I didn't have a couple of job offers within 10 days.

NavyMooseCCNA

Unfortunately, I'm a one trick pony. I have an undergrad and grad degree in business but with zero experience with accounting. I have a per diem position working as a security guard on the weekends for a friend of mine. If/when I get laid off, I will ask for more hours to augment the unemployment while leaving time for interviewing.

networker050184

No real backup plan in another industry, but I always keep an eye on the job postings just in case.

Dakinggamer87

My backup plan is already in progress as I have diversified my skillset beyond just IT. I have started my own company/business and I'm creating different areas of passive income through side gigs/investing.

LonerVamp

My backup plan is just to get another IT job? I work in security now, but I could easily go back to systems administration, network admin, or whatnot. My immediate plan b is just to tap into my network and get another security job. My plan c would be the greater IT administration field again.

Plan d is where a career change would be, and I don't have one.

TechGromit

shochan wrote: »

I was just curious if you have a backup plan in case you were to get laid off, fired, or contract is ending. If not, perhaps you should?? I know that unemployment benefits are an option, but they won't pay nearly as much as I would be making while FTE.

While having another career to fall back on isn't a bad thing, it's certainly not going to pay the same level of compensation as an IT career you been developing yourself over the last 10 or 20 years. Your primary backup plan should be six months salary saved to fall back on. (And I mean actual savings, not tapping your 401k with hardship withdrawals) If you can't land another job in your field within six months, than it may be time to perhaps consider another career. My Ex-Wife was all so supportive of me when I was unemployed five years ago, after a few months unemployed, she was urging me to find another career to work in, like a entry level career is going to pay 60k+ like I was earning before.

NetworkNewb

Bitcoin

Basic85

My plan b would be if I can't find an IT job than I would most likely work in retail, fastfood, or doordash.

tedjames

McxRisley wrote: »

To be honest, this is my plan B lol I was orignally a music major and spent several years traveling around with the bands I played in before and during college. IT was always my backup plan if that didnt work out and I think you know how my music career turned out since I am on this site lol

I've also done the music thing for years, though when the kid came along, all thoughts of trying to have a music career went out the window. So I play music on the side. Just waiting for the day when I can retire from the state and become a full-time musician...

My backup plan is to be a billionaire. Not there yet. I'm only a hundredaire. Never give up! Never surrender! Seriously, it's rare that anyone gets laid off at the state, though I have seen it happen but not in security. My real backup plan would be to get another security job. There's still not enough people to fill up the available jobs. In fact, we're hiring two new people.

E Double U

No plans. Just go where the wind blows.

LeBroke

IT is my plan D.

First, I realized I won't be able to become a proper shrink in this province because you need a PhD and there's a very limited number of spots that usually go to wealthy kids that can just study 24/7 and volunteer in Rwanda (#blessed) so it looks good on their application... I had to work 20-30 hours a week just to pay rent and couldn't do any of this stuff.

Then med school didn't pan out because I sucked at memorizing stuff in college and my GPA eventually took a nosedive from having to work and school at the same time.

Then, I broke my foot and had screws put in when I was training to apply to the RCMP.

Now I'm actually happy with what I do so I guess it all worked out in the end (hopefully).

As for a backup plan... my old company would probably have me in a flash (I left things on a very good note), and there's a few companies whose offers I didn't take but they'd probably be happy to talk to me again.

snapdad

Selling oranges by the freeway

blargoe

My backup plan is:

- Learn continually, don't let skills become stagnant. If this means learning something adjacent because my current skills are less valuable, then cool.
- Live well within my means
- Have an adequate stash of funds that will last me long enough to procure gainful employment at or above an income level that my family requires
- Lather, rinse, repeat

I am not worrying, but I aim to be prepared for whatever has a reasonable chance of coming my way.

NetworkNewb

I've read about how Seattle has a pretty decent homeless villages...

Mike R

It's always prudent to have a plan B and I would always recommend it to anyone no matter how old or young you are. IT was my plan B but since I'm in tech now I've adjusted my backup plans to the following-

Plan C - Heavy equipment operator (I grew up in agriculture so this is second nature)
Plan D - OTR semi driver

UnixGuy

Just keeping an eye on the market and keeping skills up to date / acquire new ones

Invest, so you're not too dependent on salary in the long run. Buy a property and then invest in another ,..for example

jeremywatts2005

Plan B shoot I have plan a to z. If you are in information security especially on the incident response, intel, digital forensics area literally you can work anywhere at any time. The only thing that might be different is salary. I don't see anyone laying any of us off or reducing the workforce. Good luck finding enough too staff even a small SOC. It is a tough field to recruit for since there are so few of us. Me I have 5 yrs with exact title now. Before I had experience I security just not that IR, Digital Forensics title. Reason being is that most of the time in the past we did not have IR teams, or Digital Forensic teams. We just had securrrrity LOL

gespenstern

As with McxRisley, IT is my plan B. Initially I was thinking maybe I can be a priest, but wife and kids required funding...

NiTech-5

I'm 25 and these next 1-3 months will be be spent in the job hunting area... IT or a basic cyber security entry is in fact one of my back up plans. If it comes down to just getting any job for the sake of needing more income and paying down crap then:

1. Technical Writer
2.Go back overseas for a bit- this time, to teach language.
3. Some type of All-Source Analyst

No matter what job I resort to for the short-term, I will do it for a year to two as I work on additional IT certs to boost my chances of becoming more marketable in IT/Security related fields.