So…where do we start? Let me ask you a question…what exactly is it about negotiation that makes us sweat? Maybe it’s the fact that as a society, talking about money makes us feel uncomfortable. So asking for more money can be straight up paralyzing. Especially in a field like healthcare where we aren’t supposed to think about money because we “just want to help people” even though we paid a boatload of money to get to this point. Well, there is no shaming in saying I have a nurturing heart, I have the gift of compassion, I want to help people…and I want to be paid well to do it .If that’s you, keep reading because today I’m sharing my top TEN tips for negotiating a job offer:
Can I ask you something? I want to know what comes to mind when you hear the word wealth. What does “building wealth” actually mean to you? Wait wait…before you go I’m asking for a reason. When you identify what your definition of “wealth” means, then you’ll understand just how it is possible as a traditional OT to build wealth whether you have a business or not.
So you’ve completely blown your budget out of the water…don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. I promise. Yes, even personal finance enthusiasts such as myself! Listen, life happens. That’s why I like to remind you that you might not get your budgeting method down on the first try, and that’s okay. There are a lot of budgeting strategies out there and depending on where you are in your financial journey, there may be one that works more than the other. You may also have a combination of strategies that work for you. That’s perfectly okay, too! However, if you find that your current method isn’t working for you, here are some tips to help you get back on track.
Graduate school is an exciting time. I vividly remember June 2016 - I was living in a brand new city and was just a few days away from starting my dream graduate program. I made sure I checked all the boxes and I really thought I was doing it all right - so how in the world did I end up still graduating with a mountain of student loan debt? Well, I simply didn’t focus on saving money in the right areas. Now, I’m on a mission to help as many healthcare professionals avoid the mistakes I made and that’s why I’m sharing FIVE ways you can save big while in graduate school - beyond just cutting out Starbucks.
What is passive income and why is everyone always talking about it? Well, passive income is what allows us to generate another stream of income to help tackle our financial goals. As I said in this week’s #WealthyWednesdays post: Passive income does not mean you’re getting something for nothing. It simply means you put in your time, energy, and effort upfront for something and then you continue to make money from it long after you’ve spent that time, energy and effort.
I do not believe in total deprivation. I do not believe in living off rice and beans. I do not believe in not treating myself to a facial. I do not believe in total deprivation and 100% sacrificing things that bring me joy while I’m paying off my student loan debt. In fact, I strongly believe that when you try to deprive yourself of the small joys in life, it ends up making this journey significantly harder and you may end up going in circles, never actually crawling out from under the debt.
So. who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too? One of the biggest mistakes I made on my debt free journey was thinking I couldn’t do it all when in fact, I simply needed to create a plan. And once I did...well, let me tell you what I’ve accomplished.
New grads should not have to choose between good mentorship or good pay. One of the most frustrating things for me as a new grad on the job hunt was trying to find a job that offered me the mentorship I wanted AND the pay I needed. In almost all of the positions I looked into, I had to sacrifice one or the other. This is not okay. New graduates should not have to choose between having good mentorship OR having a decent paying first position. We need both.
Anyone else feel like their bills just don’t care? Me: meticulously plans and budgets every dollar. Unexpected bill: HEY GIRL HEY! Here to derail your plans. Bills, particularly those pesky unexpected ones, really don’t care - so we have to be prepared! That’s why good money management skills are essential, especially to stay on track with your financial goals when the unexpected bill derails your plans. Here are 3 ways I’ve been working to intentionally build good money management skills:
Can you believe I used to hoard all of my money in one location: Bank of America. Now, shout out to BoFA because we’ve been rocking together since I was 14 and I’ve always had a great experience. However, part of #adulting has been learning that it’s OKAY to have my money living in multiple places! So, here are SEVEN places/accounts where our (hubs and I) money is dispersed.
When it comes to working in the home health world, it’s no secret that pay can be unpredictable. This can be due to a few different factors but largely because most positions are hourly, meaning we only get paid if we see our client. Now, it’s also no secret that cancellations and no shows happen at a higher frequency in the home health world meaning there’s a higher risk of not getting paid.
It’s okay for healthcare professionals to talk about money. You all already know the motto over here: there is nothing wrong with enjoying what you do, loving your profession, helping people, AND wanting to be paid well to do it.
Generally speaking, OTs earn a pretty good living - my only qualm is that we can’t always fully enjoy it because of how expensive it can be to become an OT + student loan debt, but that’s another topic for another day 😅 Today I want to chat about what my lifestyle looks like as an OT (in student loan debt!)
I want to talk for a second to my fellow OTs carrying the weight of student loan debt. It can be easy to sit and replay every little decision leading up to where we are now. I personally have done this. Maybe I should’ve gone to school in-state. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to brunch with my classmates that one time. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone out of state for fieldwork. Maybe, maybe, maybe…
I didn’t become an OT to get rich. But I didn’t become one to struggle either. There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying what you do, loving your profession, helping people, AND wanting to be paid well to do it.
Alright friends, it’s another edition of #MoneyMonday 💰 and today we’re talking about one of the most expensive mistakes you can make on your OT journey.…your education. Becoming an OT doesn’t have to break the bank. However, there are OTs out there who excitedly chose an institution that was widely known and recognized but didn’t consider the hefty price tag. It’s me. I’m OTs out there.
Today I wanted to expand on my initial Earning in EI and talk about some factors that impact pay...resulting in that huge range you see. The pay can be wildly 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 because of these factors. Some weeks I work 25-30 hours, some weeks I work 40-50 hours. This results in a drastically different paycheck every two weeks which initially made budgeting extremely difficult.
In school, I’d often heard pediatrics is the lowest paying setting, and while I can’t speak to other peds settings, I can say that the earning potential in EI is not too shabby but there’s a TON of factors and considerations that dictate your pay.
