A regular reader graciously agreed to contribute a guest blog and here it is:
I'm very honoured to have AK71 request for a guest blog post from me. I would like to share some of my experiences and hope that people would benefit from these.
1. Get a job before graduation.
In my last semester in university, I was busy writing resumes and sending them out. My goal was to get a job ASAP. To me, the ability to secure a job at graduation or before demonstrates how good a student is. It is not just the grades we get.
Moreover, a few months of unemployment would set me back financially. We all have some living expenses to take care of, right?
I'm not inclined to save money. I find going the extra mile to hunt for cheap deals or reduce spending is quite troublesome and tiring. I like to spend money. I like to go for holidays, shopping trips etc.
However, I do know the importance of having savings. One thing I learnt from my mother is to keep some money away until I forget I have it. So, I have some endowment plans and monthly savings accounts.
These tools are very useful especially in terms of timing my savings to prepare for my resale flat purchase. Of course, this method might not be good for everyone but it forces me to save.
Take courses to improve yourself. The journey just started.
Plan your career path. Invest in yourself to cross disciplines. Employers pay good money for people who can bridge gaps.
Focus on doing what will secure higher pay for us. Seriously, because it's just going to get more difficult when the bigger demands of life kick in later on. For examples, getting married, setting up a family, buying an apartment and taking care of parents who are aging with medical needs.