No BS Career Advice: December 21, 2025

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By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

“What I’ve discovered in life is that there’s a way to get almost anywhere you want to go if you really want to go.” ~Langston Hughes

This is the last issue of the year. I’ll be back in early January.

In the meantime, I want to share that I took action on what many people have asked me to do – purchase my content without a monthly commitment. So far, many have been set up this way. Everything will be available this way when I come back in January. Currently, 16 of the 29 video courses, books, and guides listed are available for individual purchase. As a reminder, you can access all content by becoming a member at any Insider level (including coaching).

7 Steps to Take When You’re Unemployed

By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

If you’re like most people, you probably think losing your job is a bad thing. You may start to worry about not being able to make ends meet, losing your home or apartment, or worse.

However, if you’re in between jobs, you’ll get an opportunity that most people never take advantage of because they’re too busy.

Yes, you should start thinking about your financial situation and making plans for the near future, but we recommend you keep an open mind and stay optimistic.

Here are some things you can do to move forward

keep a positive attitude

Maintaining a positive attitude is one of the most important things to do after losing your job. Even if you were fired for unfair reasons, don’t panic or lose your temper.

Regardless of whether your dismissal was justified or not, you must remain calm. If you make a mistake and are fired for good reason, you still have to plan for the future while maintaining a positive attitude.

If you were wrongfully fired, you may be able to sue. On the other hand, slandering a business online won’t help you. It can work against you.

start cutting expenses

When it comes to financial survival, learning what to do between jobs is just as important as preparing for your next career. You can’t be sure how long you’ll be out of work because you’re already prepared.

We recommend that you reduce your personal expenses immediately. Belt-tightening won’t be fun over the next few months, but it may be necessary for your financial well-being. The last thing you need right now is to be behind on your rent, mortgage, or car payment.

But don’t worry; a closer look at your bank and credit card statements will reveal how much you could be saving. Here are some simple steps you can take:

Stop eating out and avoid coffee and snacks from Starbucks and other places.

Several streaming channels should be canceled (Hulu, Netflix, Prime and Prime video, etc.)

Create a shopping budget for yourself.

Most people have no idea how much money they waste on unnecessary (and often unused) luxuries.

Re-examine your life journey.

If you’re like most people, you probably didn’t like your previous role. In fact, nearly 85% say they despise their jobs. No one likes working and being away from home, but going to work doesn’t have to be a chore.

Use the time between jobs to change the course of your life. Are you satisfied with your current job? What would you rather be doing if you weren’t working?

Our jobs don’t actually fulfill our life goals, but they should help us meet some basic needs. For example, people who care for animals will be happier in an animal sanctuary than in a slaughterhouse.

Come up with a short-term solution to make ends meet.

As you consider your next steps, it may be a good idea to find a temporary job to help pay the bills. For example, you can drive for Uber or Lyft and deliver food for Door Dash if you need to.

Remember, this will only last a short time. Even if you think the job isn’t right for you, every dollar counts when it comes to finding a job.

You can also sell unwanted items online, do something nice for a neighbor, rent out a spare bedroom, or find other opportunities to make money quickly.

Making decisions about health insurance.

Most people don’t think about what they do for their health care in between jobs. Most people have health insurance provided by their employer.

You need to know what to do if you lose your job and your insurance policy lapses. Healthcare.gov offers basic, affordable coverage with Bronze plans. Medicaid may be a necessary option. If you are sick or disabled now, you could become bankrupt.

Most insurance plans won’t cancel without a grace period, but you don’t have much time.

Edit your resume

Depending on how long you worked at your last job, you may have a lot to add to your resume. If you’re laid off, your experience there may be helpful in choosing a new career.

Regardless, you have to update your resume if you want to be taken seriously by any potential employer. If you haven’t revised your resume in five years, this may look suspicious.

You should also be candid about why you are looking for a new career during the interview. Employers will still ask you why you left your previous position.

If you are fired, you need to speak up. They will almost certainly discover the truth eventually, and they may ignore it. However, they will not forgive you if you start a professional relationship with them by lying

stay productive

Staying busy and productive in between jobs is important for your mental health and morale. While it might be tempting to use this time to sleep until noon and binge-watch tons of new Netflix series, you have more important things to do.

You can also use this opportunity to finish any unfinished chores or chores you didn’t have time to complete.

Stay optimistic and productive. Here are some suggestions:

Take care of any unfinished chores or chores.

Take care of your diet and start a new exercise program.

Spend time doing things you enjoy (writing, painting, knitting, etc.)

Put your old car on the market.

To make money, organize your home and sell items online.

You can use the extra time to improve other aspects of your life.

Don’t lose focus on finding a new job.

If you’re in between jobs, I understand how overwhelming it can be. It’s important to keep a good attitude and believe that things will eventually work out for you. This is called resilience—the ability to bounce back from adversity

Don’t hide. Stay in touch with people.

Learn how to win in your job search..

Last week I posted a lot of new content, including:

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Schedule a free discovery call with me: www.TheBigGameHunter.us/schedule Discuss my guidance for you during your job search and beyond. I tend to work with more senior talent rather than individual contributors.

Subscribe to the BS-free job search advice broadcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen or watch podcasts. I’ll be posting new episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

#BeGreat

Jeff Altman, MSW, CCTC Author

People hire me worldwide to provide no-nonsense job coaching and career advice because I make your job search and success in your new job easier | 5x LinkedIn Top Voices | Career Coach | Former Recruiter | job search community