Owning Your Future Beyond a Stimulus Check

As our government leaders toil over sending out a $600 stimulus check that couldn’t correct the dent in the distressed amount of American people facing financial hardship and unemployment, it’s evident personal emotions are at the front line of the decision-makers that will affect millions of Americans’ households. We ask ourselves how could one even think anything less than $2,000 would suffice when millions receive little or no income due to COVID?

Although none of the pandemic’s conditions has stopped commerce from happening, a pivot took place. Sales for most establishments have escalated. If you’ve noticed, consumers have become comfortable shopping from home, having meals delivered, working remotely, and spending a generous amount of time with their families. Sure, it’s been nine months, but if we’ve paid attention, a new normal is happening before our eyes. During the beginning of the pandemic, I mentioned how unlikely it would be for the economy to return to its old way of operating a business and commuting careers. We should mentally prepare ourselves for the current moment, present “virtual reality,” and the new virtual living routine. I referred to it as preparing our minds and careers for the inevitable shift.

The amazingness in all of what may appear to be chaos is an opportunity waiting for implementation. Employers have lowered their expectations of employees needing a degree to fulfill essential roles and instead prefer life experience to scale their company after recognizing the value of implementation.

How can you benefit from this pivot?

1. Begin listing your skills and segment them into the most desired task or performance and rank them from 1 – 5 (the number five would be the highest preference).
2. After you’ve categorized them by number, compare the workforce skills to an actual career, position, and job title. Skill identifying will help you determine the best work for your lifestyle and passion.
3. Once you have the position title, you become armed with the tools to know the necessary training, certifications, or experience applicable in the workforce.
4. Visit indeed.com and search for available jobs using the names of the resulted titles.
5. If there’s additional training required, consider visiting [www.shevetacademy.com] for affordable courses that can immediately bump your eligibility to a higher paygrade.
6. Prepare your resume for a successful submission to the individual employer or establishment. Be sure to follow the recruiting firm’s instructions or employer to remain competitive for the position.
7. If you’re seeking freelancing opportunities, you will follow the same blueprint, except there’s a slightly different role. You’re in control of your hours, pursuing contract opportunities, and the deliverables. Either way, there’s an opportunity during this moment for you. Visit [www.sheworksdigital.com] to learn more about current employment opportunities available for project management, media and technology.

Be relentless when pursuing your dreams, and never give up. An opportunity has many faces, and creativity drives it within the individual beholder. Become committed to being the driver of your future and your happiness by not releasing your financial well-being to the hands of anyone who doesn’t acknowledge your value and expertise. Let’s face it, when it’s time to meet our needs, no one truly knows what the individual needs are unless there’s an up-close and personal relationship involved. And the reality is, our government is far from knowing our unique needs with this level of intimacy. I charge you to start your new year committing to owning your future’s responsibility and living your life out loud through your works of passion, prosperity, and impact.

Sistah Soldier is an inspirational leader who helps veterans, women, and entrepreneurs step into God’s call for their lives, discover their voice, own their creative skills as they’re reinventing themselves during a transition. She’s the CEO, Host, and Executive Producer of SHE VET iNSPIRES Television Show and the Executive Recruiter for SHE Works Digital™.