“Are you dissatisfied with your career? Do you want to make more money? Well, my friend, I’m about to offer you the opportunity to learn how to make more money and keep your career in the IT industry.”
“I’m about to tell you how to make more money, lose weight, and get the girl or boy of your dreams. That’s right, for two easy payments of $19.95, I can show you how to live a better life, have more energy, be happier, win the lottery, travel the world, discover the meaning of life, find the holy grail…blah blah blah…”
You have heard it all before: infomercial, so-called know-it-alls and “experts” who solicit career and financial advance. They say it can be done with little effort and all you have to do is send them some cash. In turn, they reveal the secret to resolving life’s problems.
The truth is: it ain’t that easy, kid. But it ain’t impossible.
The information technology (IT) field is highly competitive, and it’s only getting worse. As more fresh-faced college kids flood into the employment pool, getting a good paying job has become an up-stream swim. Moreover, as the basic costs of living increase, you’re going to need more income to stay afloat.
Career advancement doesn’t have to be aimless pursuit. By staying on top of your game, you can earn more or make splash in better job-ponds.
To make more money, take a trip down one of four roads: get more education, work freelance, start a business, or look for a new job.
Get More Education
To an employer, the more you know, the more you are worth ($). In the job market, education is king. To an employer, your educational pursuits indicate that you are both serious and motivated. Moreover, as you learn more, you know more, which makes you that more useful.
Ouch! Yes, it stings a little, but the reality is that career advancement means assuming greater responsibility; you have to know how to do more.
Let’s face it: getting a promotion or earning more money at work is a Darwinian pursuit: only the strongest thrive. You must strive to appear to be the strongest, most useful employee with the most to offer. Learning more and getting more education is a sure-fire way to show that you deserve to drive the herd.
There is a couple easy ways to get more education to appear more “useful” to your employer:
Earn a professional certificate: Professional certification implies that a person is qualified to perform a specific job. Professional certificates are supplemental to a two or four year degree. They help to solidify and intensify a person’s knowledge in a particular field.
For computer-fluent individuals, some useful professional certificates are:
- Information Technology Pathway Certificate
- Information Technology Management Certificate
- Internet and Website Development Certificate
- Introduction to Computer Programming Language Certificate
- Certificate in Web Design
Professional certificates are easy to earn, affordable, and can be completed in a few weeks at an education institution, both online and on-campus.
Take a class: It is important to stay abreast of new technologies as they emerge. Perhaps you need only to learn a few new tricks of your trade.
The key here, however, is to inform your boss you’re taking a class. Your boss or supervisors will then be privy to you increasing your working-knowledge of new technology or business models. In turn, they see you as a much more capable employee, poised for promotion.
Find Freelance work
A good money-making method is to work freelance. Freelance IT professionals, web designers, graphic designers, and internet marking gurus are in high demand.
Good resources for finding freelance work in IT are
However, if you go down this route, there advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- You (usually) determine how much you want to get compensated for the work
- You easily boost your resume with each freelance opportunity
- You keep 100% of any profit earned
Cons:
- Quality freelance work can be difficult to find
- The income stream is not steady
- Freelance work can be time-consuming if you already work another job
Overall, many graphic designers, web designers, programmers, and other IT-folks are able to make a nice nest of cash while they work other jobs. Some people are even able to work solely freelance and give up their fulltime jobs.
Start Your Own Business
Starting your own business can be an exciting or exasperating experience; all the hard work and sacrifice can either make or break you.
But don’t let that scare you. Staring a business venture is easier than ever before. Here are some tips on finagling this without driving yourself insane:
Start slow: At all costs, restrain yourself from diving head-long into starting a business. You may still need a steady flow of income while you start your business, as you will most likely not have a lot of business at first. Though you may have a genius business plan for making millions, at least initially, you’re going to need to get your ducks in a row.
Spend a lot of time to get the business ball rolling. Don’t quit your day job yet.
Set obtainable goals: As you formulate a business plan, set some small goals. Focus on making extra-pocket money in addition to your current employment salary.
Take a Break: Don’t burn out. Take some breaks. If you work 40 hours a week already, don’t dedicate 30 more hours to your business. Spend the weekend tweaking your business plan. Spend only a few hours on week nights. Spend your lunch hour making client sale-calls. If you start to feel discouraged, take a breather. Put up your feet and come back to it. In the end, you will be able to keep sustain sanity much longer.
If All Else Fails, Look For a New Job
Sometimes, you need to know when to throw in the towel and look for something else. If you’re stuck in a dead-end job, this may be the time. No matter how much education you have, without an opportunity for advancement, it’s hard to stay motivated.
The IT field is very competitive. The key to landing a better, higher-paying job is standing out from the crowd.
Overhaul Your Resume: Clean up your resume. Re-work, re-word, and re-format your resume.
When re-working and re-wording your resume, remember the following:
You are the best at what you do.
You have a proven track-record of success.
You stand out from the rest.
When re-formatting your resume, clear out the clutter. The following elements should be readily apparent on first glace:
- Name and Contact Information
- Summary of relevant skills
- Previous Employers
- Job-duties
- References (two to three)
- Bonus: Personal website
A personal website is a good way to showcase a portfolio and to shamelessly gloat.
Compose a Killer Cover Letter: Many people forget the importance of a cover letter: it is a formal “Hello, this is why I kick ass.”
Compose a cover letter that is straight forward but commands the attention of the reader. When creating a salutation, use the manager’s name instead of “to whom it may concern,” or “Dear sir or madam.”
When writing the body of your cover letter, remember this is the formal declaration of your awesome-ness. Discuss instances in previous jobs where you have been an innovator or problem solver. Many employers want to hire a sharp, forward-thinker. Other tips:
- Keep it brief! Two pages are too much. Wrap it up in a single page.
- Spell-check.
- Grammar-check.
- Keep it Simple Stupid! Straight forward always wins over flowery language.
- Be grateful. Thank the person for taking the time to read your cover letter. They probably have to read hundreds. Don’t be another blip on the radar.
Landing the interview
So, you’ve gotten the call to come in and show them your face. Take a shower; wear nice shoes, put on a smile. You get but one (maybe two) shot at face-time.
During the interview the inevitable question is always, “why are you leaving your current job?” Be honest…but not that honest. The last thing an employer wants to hear is that you are on the hunt for a bigger-pay-day. Tell them you are looking for “career advancement.” You want a challenge; you are looking for a more rewarding career. Never say you want to make more money. They already know that, what else can you tell them?
Employers want to know that you’ve got staying power and that you won’t jump ship if you get passed over for a raise. They want to know if you have the ability to rise to challenges and deliver the goods. Most importantly, they want to know if you are worth the salary.
Keep Your Eye on the Prize: While looking for a new job, you may be enticed by a job that is closer to where you live or one with a hip or cool environment.
Be advised that if you are looking to make more money, you are going to have to compromise a bit. If you accept a position that offers a lower salary than what you are looking for, eventually, you are going to have the same financial frustrations you previously worked to resolve.
Essentially, the key is finding a job that offers upward mobility. A little hard work and face-time with the boss will get you to where you want to be.
“Now is the time to make more money and be happier with your career. You can do it, and I guarantee that you too can be on the road to riches.” And if not, in the very least, you will have learned more and done more than the rest of the computer-nerd herd
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