Always have a Plan B

It's really important to plan for the unexpected in life. Sometimes, when it is least expected, life can pull out the rug from underneath even the strongest and most prepared of us. However, with a little planning it is possible to be prepared for the unexpected and weather all but the worst of storms.


1) The Nestegg
The wisdom in having a bit of extra money tucked away should seem obvious. When you become ill, you can get treatment even if the insurance company gives you a hard time. When an unexpected opportunity knocks at your door you can afford to follow it even when it requires some start-up capital.

It's important to be able to weather a pretty serious economic crisis with your nestegg. I would think three months of pay would be the minimum reasonable size. Less than that and all you've got is a medium sized vacation fund.


2) Honing Your General-Purpose Knowledge
Everyone knows the importance of staying up to date in your field of work, especially in the world of Software Engineering. You must always be learning and growing your knowledge in order to be prepared for future opportunities and projects. However, it is unwise to focus your learning too narrowly. To quote one of my favorite movies: "It's simple. Overspecialize, and you breed in weakness. It's slow death."

Even if you are an expert on, for instance, Java. It's entirely possible that at some point in the not altogether too distant future the entire platform will be abandoned. If you don't have sharp general purpose skills you will be relegated to the job of maintenance programmer for older systems. You may say that, because Java is now open source, you don't need to worry about that happening. Well, that is both arguable and beside the point. Computing, like so many fields, is an ever-moving target. You have to keep both your specific and general skills sharp in order to be prepared for the future.


3) The Alternate Career Path
We are entering a time of potential serious economic crisis in the United States. Soon many of us could lose our jobs. Even those who are lucky enough to be able to keep employment in times of economic crisis may find themselves at the mercy of a financially stressed employer who in order to stay in business must demand long hours for crummy pay. This is why it's important to have an escape route planned.

For some this escape route may be a quick entrance into a graduate program facilitated by having low debt and already taken the GREs. For others, having some side work outside of your main job can help act as a parachute from a difficult situation or a cushion when things fall apart. In the worst case, a person should develop strong social bonds with people who can help you find alternative work and maybe even put you up for a little while if you run out of money. No man is an island.