When it comes to making more money, many people look to side hustles and small businesses to increase their income.
While there is nothing wrong with pursuing additional income, there may be an easier way: getting paid more at your full-time job.
The interesting thing about full-time jobs is that typically people work similar hours. There are some people who get paid triple what others get paid for the same work hours. Trading the same amount of time for higher income – sound like a good deal? I thought so.
Today I’ll share 3 ways to get paid more at your full-time job.
1) Increase your Responsibilities
Increasing your responsibilities at work might be one of the absolute best ways to get paid more. After all, the person with the most responsibility – the CEO – gets paid the most. On a smaller scale, taking on new responsibilities and doing a great job at fulfilling those responsibilities will get the attention of higher-ups (or at least your manager).
Getting additional responsibilities can be surprisingly difficult. In most workplaces there are a number of motivated individuals vying for higher pay and promotions. With that being said, there is always room for someone who is willing to put in the time and effort necessary to take on additional responsibilities. Finding work – instead of waiting until they are assigned to you – is a great way to gain responsibilities while also showing initiative.
2) Look for a New Job
Many workers become comfortable in their jobs. That comfort comes with a price, though: losing the ability to seek out and take advantage of opportunities. Moving to a new part of the company or a new company altogether can result in a promotion and will almost always result in higher pay. If you are willing to relocate for a job you have almost an unlimited number of options.
Before looking for a new job, do some research to find out what employers are looking for in your field of work. Looking on a site like Glassdoor is a great starting point. Do some salary research while you are at it – pay can vary greatly by company.
Once you’ve done your research and developed your skills to make yourself marketable, consider applying to new jobs. Remember to keep your salary target in mind and don’t sell yourself short. With the salary data available today there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to land your target salary.
3) Go to Grad School and Get Certifications
The final strategy I have for getting paid more at your full-time job is to go to grad school and get certifications. The reason this strategy works is simple: grad school and certifications are a huge sacrifice and many are not willing to make this sacrifice. Those who do go out of their way to get a masters degree or a certification are immediately ahead of their competition.
One final note: it’s important to have a plan for how you will leverage your graduate degree or certification. Will you use it to switch employers and in the process get a raise? Or will you try to move up at your current employer? It’s crucial that you take some sort of action quickly after finishing grad school so that you can receive the full (financial) benefit of your degree.
Have you used these strategies to get paid more at your full-time job? What would you recommend people do to increase their chances of getting paid more at their full-time job?
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Photo by Jakob Montrasio
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