The BA Q and A is Back!

back the BAQA. We have not had our regular Q and A segment in so so long, and I thought today would be the perfect day to bring that back. But I couldn't do it alone. I thought about it for a hot minute, me sitting here in this chair and my therapist Tan Turtleneck talking to myself as the question and the answerer, and I decided that that would just be silly. So we have a very special guest today. Hey, Amber Jones, what's up?

Look at me trying to catch you in a lie, like you don't listen to the show that you do social media content for so last week. If you guys haven't heard last week's episode with Chris Browning from Popcorn Finance, Wait now I'm having flashbacks of the social media Like I had the bright idea because we make you guys guess our co host. I was like, instead of doing Chris's silhouette because he's just like it has a bald head.

He wouldn't mind me saying that. You guys see, I was like, let's do a silhouette of a popcorn bucket and can you make the popcorn colonels pop? And Amber's like, it's called my Social Gourmet, not my social magic show. So that didn't work out.

ninety five percent of the way independent now. He's still working a couple days a week at his previous nine to five job. And I've been independent for eight nine months now. So if you haven't go back and check out that episode, but I didn't want to share this sweet message that we got from listener Sherry, who said, Hi, Mandra, Yes you can call me Mandra. I really enjoyed this

week's episode. I have recently begun my entrepreneurship journey. I've sent you messages about that before, and you and Tiffany gave me such great advice, and so much of what you guys discussed resonates with me. I definitely also found myself hoarding my business income, and I was in a rut about starting my self employed retirement fund. But I'm going to work on that in Q one, please please

keep the small business discussions coming. She also asked if you wouldn't mind sharing resources like your bookkeeper or how you found them, lessons you've learned maximizing profit using business expenses to the greatest good. Thank you so much for taking us along on your journey. That is so sweet, Sherry, It's so nice, And of course she wraps it up saying praying for Tiffany and her family, We thank you

for that. Yeah, A couple of people reached out, they want to know my bookkeeper, So how did I find I think, first and foremost it's more important to talk about how I found my book my bookkeeper, because obviously we all have to go on that journey Amber. Do you have a bookkeeper or do you keep it?

for them. It keeps a relationship exciting, I guess. But so I work with Carlos's delightful wife, Tianu, and her business is called nil Tech Finance nill Tech Finance based in Jersey. But the point of this story is not who, but how So the way that I found my bookkeeper was through a referral of who we all know and love Tiffany. But if you forget about Tiffany being the Budgetista Superstar and also co hosted Brian Ambition. She's a friend of mine. She's a friend of mine in my circle.

So I always say, asking friends of yours in your circles who they work with to get personal recommendations is like, there's no better way. I think word of mouth. And I also interviewed another accountant and she was wonderful And I actually found her because I asked Jenny's Torres Rodrigez from Jokio Dinero, who we've had on the show. She and I were just chatting up after the episode about you know, I was new to this and just as a newbie, I was like, who do you go to

for your accounting advice? So and I interviewed that accountant and she had a team of bookkeepers that she worked with. So maybe even interviewing with one accountant can help you find a bookkeeper because typically they work like closely together, you know, or you can do you like Amber and what do you do then? Do you have like quick books or something?

sweet note. All right, Amber, are you ready?

a Naviant loan, just to see if I qualify. It's my understanding, like I was just doing some googles, and you have to have a particular type of loan taken out within a particular period of time. And I don't want to get y'all confused by sitting here and reading out the list of eligibility requirements. What I can do is put a link to the articles that I have been reading that have that information and just tell you guys,

to call Naviant. If you see that you may qualify based on these eligibility requirements, then I would say, pick up the phone and call. If not, they've got until July of twenty twenty two to call you or reach out to you in some form or fashion. So if you just want to hang out and chill and wait, you can do that.

ten thousand something like that. But there's been nothing, you know, so something is better than nothing. But in the meantime, this news, which is a whole different like case. This is a lawsuit that was filed by several states against Naviant, So this is a settlement from that lawsuit. This is an entirely non government related, you know case right now. But at least sixty six thousand borrowers will get some

relief for their loans. So call your call Naviant up if your loans are from Naviant and find out if you're one of those or like we said, you can wait until you know, check your inbox, check your mailbox till July.

field is industrial organizational psychology. I will have my masters in this field, but yet again, no experience. How do you suggest that I make myself desirable for employers? That's the first question. Is it worth my time and money to get related certification from learning platforms to show my willingness to use valuable resources and to learn and develop myself?

Do I need that certificate? I'm wanting to break into this new industry and I don't necessarily have a ton of experience, So how can I make myself more like she says, desirable to employers and show them that I've got at least the training, if not the on the ground experience. So we're all start right now. Is by saying education matter? You know you have the education here

and the field industrial organizational psychology. I'm hearing more and more about this, but basically this we're talking like the operations of companies, like human resources departments. How how companies and their people work together. So this is a fast growing industry and it's fascinating to me in general. As far as like certificates from online learning platforms, do I think that those are necessary? I struggle with this because I have heard from so many of my clients who

have gotten those certificates. Whether it's what's popular right now is like project management certificates, there are product product management certificates, DE and I like diversity, equity and inclusion certificates. Like they sell them through platforms like Coursera. They also sell them through like Google has on like a Google Academy or something like that, where you can get these certificates.

I wouldn't necessarily put my money up for those types of certifications unless I had examples of people in my field that had success getting opportunities through having those certificates. I mean, these certificates like not only the money that they take, they also take time because often there'll be a multi week or multi hour commitment for you to take the course and then do whatever is required of you.

So I wouldn't want to invest that much time and money unless I knew I was going to potentially get their return on my investment right. So I think the key here is for you to make connections with people who are in that field and ask their specific opinions or look for examples from them of people who were

able to break into it by getting these certifications. In my personal opinion, I think way far and above in terms of value for getting experience is a personal connection to someone versus a piece of digital paper or a certificate. I think the more personal connecttions you can make, so that can be through your program. Like right now you say that you're in a clinical psychology program, it could be making connections within that program, with your with your instructors,

with alumni. I tell people a lot of times when I sit across from my coaching clients and I ask them, you know, have you reached out to any of your peers from your college or from your you know, master's program. So often the answer is no, you know, it's been a few years since you graduated, maybe longer you've lost

those connections. I think that's really important for you to maintain or rekindle those personal relationships because that can be a great source of knowledge for you when it comes to how do I get my foot in the door and I think for anyone who's entering into a new field with relatively little experience, you do have to accept the fact that it may take a little bit of extra time for you to find that opportunity, especially given right now what we are in with our labor market.

I'm sure you and or even know it's a lot of people like hiring right now, but it's also a lot of people applying. Competition is fierce, it really is, and some of my clients have been applying for jobs for months, months and not able to break in. It genuinely may not have anything to do with you not being qualified. It just is that there is a ton

of competition out there, you know what I mean. So that's why I'm saying, you know, trying to connect with people who are in that space and ask them, hey, did you find that this certificate gave you an edge? I would be genuinely curious to hear what you hear back, And even more so, what I think will give you an edge is any kind of personal relationship you have. There is so much value in having people in rooms with decision makers who say your name like there is

that is where the power lies. So how can we get Irene on the radar of people in those rooms. Anyone who's like, I know someone Irene. She's amazing. You know, she's in this program. She's potentially gonna get her doctorate. But you know I would vouch for her. That is really going to be a game changer and potentially give you that extra like push that you're gonna need. All right, let's get back to these questions.

get more money if I take on this role. But this is where it kind of gets messy. I have a six figure student loan debt, and my current role seems to be covered by the forgiveness program that I've been with for five years. However, my husband and I are trying to have a baby and I know that the maternity leave at the tech company is better in addition to making more money, that would allow me to quit my side hustle and work from home full time.

So on the one hand, I have the chance to clear myself of all of the debt in five years, but at the cost of making more working from home full time, having one job, having enough time to spend with my future child, and potentially enjoying the job more. What should I do? Also, I'm not even sure how to negotiate to make sure that I maximize the most of my potential career switch.

do I give this job? Which, if I go back to the beginning of her question, she says that she's not particularly interested in it. Should she stick with that job for five years just for the promise of maybe having her student loans forgiven and give up the opportunity to work for a tech company that could pay her more, give her more time off for her maternity leave, let her work from home full time, and most likely pay her more.

best for my career? The money will follow? Okay, So I honestly wouldn't worry so much about you missing out on this public service loan forgiveness boat necessarily when you've got an opportunity to make what could be a really amazing career move for yourself. You're not even enjoying your job right now. You gave you said one of the words that whenever I hear it in my coaching clients, I just cringe. You said stable oo. Stable. Stable is for horses, Stable is for when you mount your TV

the wall, you want those brackets to be stable. But stability in a job, it's it can be sexy. I get it like stability, especially if you've had you know, financial insecurity, if you grew up in that space, or if you're just a human being, like we all like to know what we're going to get in our paychecks week after week, and there is a sense of Okay, it's one less thing for me to have to worry about. But it's a lie. Even that quote unquote stable job

in communications. They could fire you tomorrow, Jasmine, Like they could lay all off. They could decide that they want you to work in a different state, and you don't want to move, so we're gonna let you go. Like it's not exactly stable, is it? When you think about that, you are still at the mercy of someone else's budget, someone else's bottom line, someone else's business needs. So that is why I'm always reminding people you've got to put

yourselves first. So the fact that stability is the only thing this job seems to have going for it, because it ain't pay and it's not your interest level in the job, doesn't seem like you're really getting a ton out of it. I think you are definitely at a point where you could really benefit from a new opportunity. If this new job in tech is something that would be interesting to you, it would be challenging to you, and it meets you where you want to be financially. Hells, Yeah,

the perks, those perks, don't you know? Those are nothing to like bat an eye at. Like you've got full time working from home privileges. You know, you could be potentially earning enough so that you wouldn't have to work a side job, a side hustle, as you say, plus the time off to spend with your child. I mean, yes, you've got to put yourself first here. So that's I guess where I'll leave it. But again, just a reminders to y'all, Like I know that those government programs like

the Public Service loan forgiveness. My husband himself, like we made a decision, what it is it like five years ago that we would just go ahead and pay off the rest of his student loans because we had the money, and I didn't want to be I didn't want to like feel as if we were waiting for a government program which the last administration, like the last president made very clear that any program that the incoming president doesn't want, they can just get rid of it, you know. And

and honestly, things change so quickly. It doesn't seem like it, but things can change quickly when it comes to politics and government programs. So we always just put ourselves first, like what's best for us financially, what's best for our

careers and money has seemed to follow. And as long as you continue putting your career first and moving in this direction for bigger and better opportunities, the hope and the expectation is that you will be earning more so that you can pay on that debt on your own volition. Oh one last thing, though, did you say tech? I like tech jobs. I don't know why I am er

signing bonuses or not just for NFL players. Okay, listen when you negotiate, because her last question is I'm not even sure how to negotiate to make sure I maximize the potential the most out of this. If this is a new career area, I would definitely do your due diligence to find your market rate. So of course you can go to like your glass doors, yourpayscales, dot com to find what is the market rate for this job title? But even more importantly is start shaking that network. Shake

them up. See who you've gotten your network? Who can help you figure out what you can expect salary wise, what type of company you're working potentially working for? Do you know anyone who works? Are already? Do what you can to find personal connections who can help you start to develop what your market rate should be, what you should be asking for, And then you don't ask for

it right away. You get them really excited about you late in the job process, and when it comes time to start speaking about salary expectations, you know where you're you know what you're aiming for, and you're also going to ask for a signing bonus. Because they don't need to know, Jasmine, that you don't love your job right now. They don't need to know all that. They don't need to know that you've been waiting for someone to scoop

you up and rescue you for months and years. No, they don't need to know all that, Okay, All they need to know is that they really want to work with Jasmine right and that they would love if they could poach Jasmine. But oh, Ooh, Jazzmine's already got a job, and oh she's got you know, four one K that she's been investing in through her job, and you know,

maybe there's some money on the table. Jazzmin will be leaving behind if she were to leave, and they need to know that so that they can give you a signing bonus. And with that windfall, you know, think about the dent you could be putting in your student loans with that windfall potentially. So that's just some food for thought. Ultimately, you got to do what's best for you, what you feel comfortable with. But I think that the fact that

you were interviewing is amazing. Keep doing it, whether or not this job works out or the next one, because if you're not happy and feeling challenged and financially, you know, paid your worth at your current job. I would not continue to suffer like that just for the promise of like a government handout essentially, like that loan forgiveness. It's just not how I roll.

we're not telling them, you know, what's happening. So I would use the fact that you're interviewing as a good excuse to reach out to people and to get their feedback. Right now. But very exciting, very excited for you. Good luck on the new baby. I hope you guys, you'll figure it all out, Okay, all right, last question and last question, what have we got?

of raggedy, and I don't like the insurance. This is a newly created position, too, so who knows what I'll be getting myself into if I leave this job. It is also remote. Maybe I could leverage it for a negotiation at my current job. If they want me to stay, I will honestly prefer to stay here for the benefits alone. On top of all of this, I feel bad for leaving the team because we are very understaffed. The director who hired me, a black woman, has been on indefinitely

since June, but nobody knows what's going on. Another person got let go because of a contract mishap with HR right before that, and they haven't replaced their position. And on top of that, one person is about to go on maternity leave. December is our busiest month. Talk about bad.

I did not quit higglety pigglety. I did not quit like randomly whenever it just any old thing came across my desk. Any old opportunity came across my desk, it had to meet a really high bar. It had to be a significant pay increase most of the time, and it also had to be a really attractive opportunity in the sense that it gave me a new challenge, it gave me a bigger title, more responsibility. Whatever it was that I wanted out of my next opportunity, it had

to give me something juicy and different and appealing. And right now it seems like all this new job has going for it is an extra thirteen K salary increase for me. To be honest, when you look at thirteen K over the course of a year, you know, divided up into twenty six paychecks after taxes, we're not talking about a life changing amount of money. So I would only take this job if you were really, really excited about the job itself. I didn't hear you say much

about that. You may be a little bit too caught up. I mean, it's important obviously to look at things like healthcare benefit and other incentives, But have you thought about the job itself. Do you want it, are you suited for it? Is it better for you in your career? And it may even be that, Okay, it's a thirteen K increase, that's nice, but it's not amazing. But this company,

this company is incredible. I've always wanted to work for this company, and once I get my foot in the door, I could see myself ascending and moving and grooving through the company to higher positions down the line. I'm not hearing that kind of strategic thinking. So I would sit with that for a minute and look at that look at that potential new job from that lens. You know, what is the long term potential of you making the switch to your other points about like the job that

you've got now, you like the benefits. It's obviously it's a known entity, like you've already worked there. But it sounds a little bit like dysfunction junction girl, Like it sounds a little bit like they're a hot mess. I mean, you're understaffed. December is your busiest month. I know that is obviously January. Now, so this is from a few weeks ago when you sent this, But how much of

that is actually your responsibility to fix? At the end of the day, we feel a sense of duty and a sense of loyalty to our colleagues, which isn't a bad thing. We want to be a good team player, We want to help everybody, but at the end of the day, you have got to put your own career, your family's needs, your financial concerns front and center. It sounds selfish because it's supposed to sound selfish. That's what

I want more people to be. I think selfish has become, you know, in a lot of ways, just like this demonized word. And typically the people who are punished for being selfish, oh just so conveniently, tend to be people of color, you know, people at the bottom of the employee chain, the grunt workers, the worker bees. We're the ones who are meant to be loyal. We're the ones who are supposed to care about the understaffed team, Like

all that responsibility is falling on our shoulders. I'm telling you, the people at the top don't feel that way. Okay, the people at the top are putting themselves first. So I want to like relieve you a bit of in terms of your career choice. Don't let it be about the struggles of the team that you're leaving. You can acknowledge that you're leaving would be another hurdle for them

to overcome. But you are not responsible, as far as I can tell, for the dysfunctional management, the dysfunctional planning and organization of that company to have gotten to a position where it is now, where it has so many gaps, and where a person like you is feeling overwhelmed and stressed out about it. You know, like, ah, that's above your pay grade. I'm going to imagine, Okay, So I would relieve you a little bit of that stress, and I would not factor that into your decision. I would

bring it back to what I originally said. When it comes to this new job, what do they have going for it besides the thirteen K salary increase? Thirteen K is decent, But for me, I'm an need you to find out more and have more reasons for joining than just that thirteen K increase. It's going to have to be, like I said, better opportunity for you. It sounds like you would like to work for a team that's got

it shited together. I know, I know that you said, this is a newly created position, this new job, and who knows what you'll be getting yourself into. But those are questions you can ask during a job interview, like you can interview them as well, and you can be candid. Hey, the job that I'm at right now, I love it for these reasons, but one of my pain points has been the lack of communication, the sense of being asked

to do more with less. What assurances can you give me that your team will be different and leave it like that? You can definitely ask that when you talk to a hiring manager during an interview and have them tell you what makes them different, How organized are they?

How many resources do you have? You know, what is the support for someone in your role and that may be even more like valuable to you than even that thirteen K salary increase if it means you can genuinely feel like what it feels to work in a job where you got some support underneath you. You know what I mean. So I appreciate your question, miss Belinda from the DMV, but think about all of that, okay, And I'll just

leave you with this. The fact that a woman reached out to you on LinkedIn tells me that your LinkedIn is good. Like you are being found by recruiters and if it's not this opportunity, it could very well be another one down the line. So if you feel okay where you're at now financial, your sound, career wise, you're fine. You can deal with the dysfunction junction for a little bit longer. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities on LinkedIn

like you've been doing, but keep interviewing. There may be a job that gives you everything you wanted more. It just hasn't found you yet. Okay. The end, poor ambush is like, yeah, maybe talks real good.

B a Q and A is back, So start sending your questions in again and we will hope to talk to y'all soon. Byba Fam