8 Easy Ways to Boost Your Salary
April 19, 2010 · Tagged with Career and Work
Work smarter, not harder. Take simple steps that will help you supersize your paycheck, get more respect at work, and develop a career that truly suits you.
From career training to communication tips, check out our list of ways to boost your paycheck.
Specialize. Are you feeling like you’re spread too thin over too many tasks? Become an expert at a few major responsibilities in order to make yourself indispensable in the office. A brief online course can help. For example, if your boss relies on PowerPoint presentations, learn more about the software package and help with the weekly presentation duties.
Diversify. On the flip side, a narrow range of skills could work against you in an office where only a few people perform the majority of the tasks. Think about where you can diversify your skills to offer more value to the team. For example, your front-office clerical skills could be combined with medical assistant training to help prepare you to work in a small doctor’s office. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a median yearly wage of $28,300 for medical assistants, with the top 25 percent earning $33,050.
Train yourself. Think about where you want your career to be in five or ten years. If people at work are always asking you for help with their computers, why not make it official? An associate’s degree in IT can help move you into an official role as your company’s computer-support specialist. Your employer should be pleased to find that you took the initiative to educate yourself. Computer-support specialists earn a median annual wage of $43,450, while the top 25 percent earn $55,990.
Train others. Prove your value in the workplace by offering to lead training sessions for new hires. Expressing the desire to train others proves your interest in the company, as well as your willingness to take a leadership position and a position of responsibility. Business classes in human resource management and communications can give you the knowledge you need to help new hires begin their careers at your company.