Choices

Certainly, a thousand thoughts had entered my mind. What to do next? Simple: Get another paying job. That's the best answer possible. And to do this, it's important to be proactive and phone all of one's contact opportunities to see if there are job openings.

Contacts can be any of the following:

• Friends

• Neighbours

• Associates

• Previous employers

• Newspaper advertisements

• Internet positions

• Shop signs

Wherever there is a possibility for a paid position in your field of specialty, knock on that door, pick up the phone, or simply send or email your resume.

This can be the quickest transition into your new role after your previous position has come to an end. However, if you are like me and find that no immediate contacts have job openings, this book is meant to encourage you forward and successfully guide you to your next job.

Monday morning arrived, and I anticipated a productive day of job searching. But after several hours of searching, feelings of dejection appeared. I took the dog for a walk and then continued my job search. I looked through the newspapers and job websites and rang a few new contacts, but no job opportunities appeared.

There I was for the first time, as a dad and husband, without paid work. What a shocker.

I wondered, how long would it be before a new door opens? Can we survive as a family? Do I need to contact our bank regarding our mortgage repayments? Do I need to contact our daughters' school regarding fees? Do I need to seek government assistance?

All of these phone calls were hard to make, as they really acknowledged that I was in the desperate position of being in between jobs.

Being motivated, I needed to achieve something that Monday, so I felt the need to make a phone call to seek understanding and possibly help. I knew I was not the first man to be unemployed in Sydney, Australia and I was certain that I wouldn't be the last, yet this journey felt like one of the hardest journeys a person can go through in life.

I asked myself whom I should call first.

The most important phone call would be to the bank, to discuss our mortgage repayments. I had thought I would have a new job in two weeks, yet this hadn't happened. I felt a need to share this with someone. How would the bank respond? I had no clue.

I picked up the phone and dialled the bank's number. It was answered by an employee who received my news surprisingly well. It was as if they received phone calls like mine regularly. The employee completed the "seeking assistance" documentation while I was talking to him and then asked when I would get a new job. I simply and instantly answered, "Next week!" I was informed that the bank would consider what it could do to assist us. I said goodbye and felt encouraged that I had shared my situation.

Making a phone call like this was hard, yet from my financial experience, the earlier you inform creditors that there is a potential difficulty, the more understanding they will be.

It seemed a world away from the first time I had entered our Sydney house. Seeing the polished timber floors and feeling the ducted air conditioning, my wife and I had instantly fallen in love with it. Having negotiated the purchase price, we had visited the bank for finance approval. Three years later, my being unemployed and having the bank consider repayment options seemed oceans away from our first encounter.

Personally, I felt the bank would simply defer some loan repayments, which would release the pressure valve on our finances. I was feeling so much better now that I had made this phone call. Certainly, it was not a job, yet I felt a level of success in seeking understanding. That was a great place to start.

A week later, I was informed that a property assessor would be visiting our home to conduct a property valuation to ascertain its current market value. I felt happy (I thought) that something was happening, but a property valuation sounded quite major!

The appraiser arrived, and after I had informed him of our minor improvements, the valuation was fully in his hands. I felt speechless, realizing that my situation of being unemployed had led so quickly to the bank conducting this assessment. I really didn't understand why they were doing this, as our monthly payments were up to date.

Anyway, it appeared part of this journey had been taken out of my hands. The appraiser didn't say much, only informing me that he would pass his assessment onto bank officials, who would be in contact with me. I thanked him for his contribution.

Three weeks after my initial phone call, I received the long-awaited final phone call from my bank in relation to our home mortgage. The employee firstly confirmed my identity. Then came my question: What was the bank's decision? I decided to sit on my bed as I waited.

The employee informed me that, after the valuation and the other relevant information had been received, the decision had been made. We had been granted a four-month holiday from our mortgage payments. I thanked the employee for this information and sought clarification. "What will this four-month holiday look like?" I asked.

The reply was, "You will never need to pay for these four months."

I asked for further clarification. "Do you mean these four months in repayments will be added at the end of the loan term?" The reply came. "Ken, the bank has exempted you from ever repaying these four months of your mortgage."

Still trying to come to terms with this supernatural miracle, I needed to ask, "Are you saying that this is a free gift?"

He replied, "Ken, yes. It is a free gift."

I nearly fell off the bed with excitement. I was informed that the bank sometimes showed people compassion—that it desired to help us move forward. I thanked the employee with all of my heart and was informed that the required paperwork for Michelle and I to consent would be forwarded in the post. Wonderful!

Having had a few minutes to come to terms with this supernatural gift, I asked, "What if I get a job next week?" The employee informed me that the free gift was for four months, regardless of whether I got a job next week. Words could not express how I felt when he said this. Well, I looked heavenward and said, "God, thank you for this massive breakthrough."

I hurriedly phoned Michelle and shared this news, and we celebrated, believing that within four months, I would certainly have a new job and that this result was phenomenal in me moving forward. I felt so happy and content in the midst of being in between jobs, amazed that such a magnificent...