Finding a job used to be as easy as going to your local produce market and asking to work there part-time or full-time while attending school, or even as a full-time gig. However, those days are long gone, and the job market is one that is competitive, cut-throat, and where one has to stand out among the competition at all times. Why the change in job prospects? Is it difficult finding a job that pays well?
Jobs in Today’s Market
For starters, the economy has much to do with job prospects in modern America. Jobs come available when businesses grow, start to bloom, have more customers, and thus need extra helping hands to come on board with the business. In the US, there are approximately 30.2 million small businesses. If there are so many small businesses, why isn’t there a ton of jobs? Well, finding a job that pays well is like searching a needle in a haystack…at least…that’s what most people want you to think. On the contrary, it doesn’t have to be difficult to find a job that you love to do, and that also pays you fairly well. Even if you just want to get a job that pays well on the side, you can look for places other than small businesses who might not hire right away for job prospects.
Getting Paid for Your Passion
If you want to find a job that you love, it can be relatively easy with a bit of research and creativity. Working a job that pays well can be done in many different settings, from small businesses to giant corporations, and even freelance work. In addition, if you’re someone who is creative and does art, finding a job can be easy for you as well. If you’re looking at ways of finding a job that pays well, here are 15 tips to get you started. From having a good resume to looking at jobs that are in need of people, this list and a little bit of research in your local area can help you get started on your career journey.
1. Make a Good Resume
No matter what field you work in, having a good resume is always a great tool to have in your back pocket. Resumes sum up work you have done for other people, and they are able to accurately reflect the timeline of your jobs. Don’t just put simple dates and job titles, however. Fill your resume with information about what your duties were, any leadership roles, and what you learned on the job in addition to having up-to-date contact information. Keeping your resume to one page is a good idea to not overwhelm future employers. Finding a job that pays well means the job will be full of competition, and employers don’t want to read through tons of information for every prospective employee!
2. Send Out Cold E-mails
If you work as a freelancer, or even have your own company doing other services, sending out cold e-mails can prove to be beneficial and help you in finding a job that pays well. The gig economy is strong, and even if you have, let’s say a fence company, you can still send out e-mails to businesses in your area that look like they might be in need of fence repair, or in need of the services you provide. Advertisements work, but sending on cold e-mails can be the best bet if you want to contact someone in an office right away. Cold e-mails stand out better than certain advertisements and can help you find your next gig.
3. Make a Website
Keeping a website is a great way to market yourself, and is growing more and more popular among those that are working on finding a job that pays well. If you’re a business professional, have a good headshot as an actor, or even work in construction, having a website is essential to promote yourself to employers and to gain contracts. You can also add articles to your website to attract more people. If you’re a kitchen remodeler, giving information to others about how to remodel kitchen cabinets not only shows your skills and knowledge, but also provides shows you’re a trustworthy remodeler. This is just one of many ideas you can incorporate in a website.
4. Have a Portfolio
Like having a website, a portfolio can also be useful, especially if you want to work as a professional writer or artist. Professional writers and artists want to showcase their work when trying finding a job that pays well. The highest paying jobs will go to those that have great artistic or even writing skills. There’s no better way to show this skill than to keep a portfolio. You can keep either a portfolio with hard-copies of articles or photographs or artwork, or design an online portfolio to highlight your skills.
5. Get a Certification
It’s great to have special skills, but having a certification can help drive the point home and get you hired on professionally. If you have worked doing roof repair in the past, getting a certification to be a roofing contractor can help propel you miles ahead. In some cases, such as with roofing contractors, you’ll need a license in the state you’re working in, to pass an exam, and show you have a couple of years of experience in the field. Once you are licensed, however, the sky’s the limit when looking for high-paying work.
6. Network
It’s important to not dismiss anyone when searching for a job, and try to network as much as possible. Networking is a great way to introduce yourself to employer prospects, and also a great way for future employers or customers to see how your personality is, and how you can fit into their company. For instance, if you have worked in the past as a Disc Jockey for a club, get in contact with other club owners, and by word of mouth soon your skills will spread. Networking is essential for anyone working today, be it contractor or with an employer.
7. Have a Great Reference List
If you’ve done stellar work in the past, make sure to keep your customers or bosses in your reference list. Having friends and family is good to show character to a future employer, but a reference list is essential to employers that want to see your past history and what you’re capable of. For instance, if you worked as an emergency plumber and were able to think quickly on your feet and solve problems, keep references for not just those whose plumbing issues you fixed, but also the owners of the plumbing company you worked for. Having special skills and references to prove those special skills goes a long way when finding a job that pays well.
8. Charge Fair Prices
No one wants to hire someone who has a history of up-charging people. Pretty soon, most customers will know that you charge more than the competition, and slowly turn away from your services. Charging fair prices, having great customer service skills, and keeping up with new technology are all helpful when finding a job that pays well. In addition, if you want to go from being a contractor to an employee, you can be sure your employer will want to contact past customers or look into your reviews. If past customers are dissatisfied, this can prove costly.
9. Consider Internships
Internships are a great way to get experience and help you in finding a job that pays well later on. Most employers want to be sure you have several years of experience working in your prospective field, and internship experience can be handy. Even if you don’t work in an internship, try and get experience wherever you can. For instance, if your family owns a shop that specializes in automotive repair, you can ask to work on cars yourself in order to learn the skills of the trade, and later on transfer these repair skills to a higher-end or higher-paying auto shop. This is just one example of how to obtain skills, even if you’re younger.
10. Finish up Your Education
Certifications and internships are great ways to get hired and help in finding a job that pays well. However, for more advanced jobs, you’ll want to get an education and finish up an Associates or Bachelor’s degree. For example, if you want to work repairing industrial air compressors, this is a highly specialized skill that will require some knowledge and a possible a bachelor’s in engineering. However, having a highly specialized skill makes you able to stand-out among the competition, and highly sought after as well.
11. Show Off your Skills
Finding a job that pays well is all about finding a job where your skills will be highly utilized and sought after. Showcase your skills in a multitude of ways, such as the aforementioned website, portfolio, and references. Or, you can also show your skills by entering a competition, for instance, which can, later on, allow you to put this on your resume and get the attention of employers.
12. Consider Sales
Selling insurance can be a lucrative career, and sales itself is a high-paying profession. Consider sales such as real-estate, selling commercial auto insurance as an insurance agent, or even sales in a retail store. Car sales people are also great at making high earning commissions. The great thing about sales is also that you don’t need much of a degree or experience. What you do need is a great personality, the ability to talk to others, and the ability to help people figure out what they want and answer their questions. If you love to work with people and are still finding a job that pays well, sales might be the answer!
13. Consider Driving
Uber and Lyft are some of the biggest gig-economy giants today and for good reason. Driving people around can earn you a pretty penny, especially if you love to drive and know your city well. However, there are also class-B licenses that allow you to work in a career such as trucking. Truckers also make a high income, earning on average about $73,000 a year when working for a private fleet. Ensure you have the proper skills to avoid trucking accidents, don’t have any disabilities that will affect your ability to stay out on the road a long while, and have a desire to explore and travel. Driving jobs could just be the best bet for you.
14. Use your Handy Skills
Not everyone has the ability to work with their hands, so using your handy skills can prove to be beneficial and land you a high-paying career. For instance, if you know how to work in carpentry, you can set up a studio at your own home and get hired to build anything from furniture to decorative instruments, and much much more. If you do decide you want to expand on your handy skills and want to work from home, rent out a warehouse that has all the features to help you store your hand-made items. A secure commercial garage door, proper ventilation for when sanding, power tools, and space to store work and tools are all essential. You might even turn this side-business into a full on enterprise.
15. Work in Building Contracting
Now, more than ever, the housing market is continuing to grow, and any job that works in building contracting, flipping houses, or remodeling is a great career field. There’s never a lack for a good contractor, foundation setter, architect, or plumber to design houses. Research areas near you that are restoring houses and have neighborhoods on the rise. If you have a passion for starting things from the ground up, restoration, or simply working with your hands, look no further than a solid, high-paying career in contracting.
