It’s unlikely that many people would say no if offered the chance to make more money. However, it’s finding those chances that can be the problem, and much of the time, we assume that we’re doing all we can – especially if we’re already working full-time and perhaps even have a side hustle as well. 

The truth, however, is that there are always more opportunities out there to make more money and be more successful. It won’t be easy, and you will have to think carefully about the choices you make, but once you’ve found the opportunities, you can move forward in life in the way you want to. 

The best thing you can do if you want to make more money is to use the skills you already have, or gain more skills if need be. With that in mind, read on to find out what you can do with your skills to ensure you make the money you want.

Find A New Job 

One way you can use your skills to make more money is to use them to find a new job. This can be a challenging, even daunting task, but if you know that you have skills that are currently not being used or appreciated, and you know you can find a better job – one that pays more and one that interests you – where you can use those skills, it makes sense to make the switch. 

To begin with, make a self-assessment about what skills you actually have. Be completely honest with yourself at this stage because the results you get from this self-assessment will help you to move forward. When you are realistic about your skills and about the things you like to do (which is just as important and should be combined to create the ideal potential job), you will be able to search for a job that suits your skills rather than having to guess or settle for something that won’t work out in the end. 

Once you know what skills you want to use in your new job (these should be the ones that are the most unique or the ones that you are best at), you can start searching for a job that fits your requirements. Look online at job search engines and websites, but don’t forget to search company websites as well. If there is a particular place you want to work, it’s always worth seeing if they are advertising on their own site, and even if they’re not, sending an email in which you explain your skills and why you think they would be useful might just pique someone’s interest enough for them to get in touch. 

It’s also a good idea to update your CV and cover letter. Perhaps you have a fairly generic one right now, or one that talks about things you think people want to hear. Now is the time to make changes; you need to ensure both your CV and cover letter match the job you want to apply for and showcase your skills in the best way. Make them the focal point of how you sell yourself so that no one can possibly miss what it is you have to say and what you can do. 

On top of all of this, you should also start networking. This can be done online or in person, depending on the time you have and the opportunities around you. Find people who are in need of the skills you can offer, whether that’s some creative, something that will help others, like if you were to sell teacher worksheets, or something technical. Let them know what you can do, and don’t be shy in telling them how skilled you are; they need to know if you want to find a better job where you can use those skills. 

Get Promoted 

It might be that you enjoy your job and you don’t want to change careers or companies, but you do feel you could be earning more money and use the skills you have a lot more in the job you’re currently doing. If this is the case, before you look for something else, it’s worth seeing if there is anything you could do to improve your current job. Could you get a promotion, for example? 

The important thing here is not to expect your managers and employer to automatically know what you want or even to know what your real skills are. If you don’t actually tell them or demonstrate them, they just aren’t going to know. If you don’t speak to them about the fact that you want to do other things or feel you deserve to be promoted, you might be passed over. It might not be a comfortable or enjoyable thing to do, but you’ll need to speak to your boss sooner rather than later if you want to make any changes. 

Just like if you wanted to change jobs, you’ll need to do a complete self-assessment of your skillset. Write down everything you know you’re good at but that you’re not doing in your current job so you can discuss this with your employer. You might even want to create a job title that would suit you, or list out the duties of a job that already exists that you know you could do but that you’re not currently employed to do. The more evidence you can provide to your employer that it’s time you were promoted, the better. 

You should also start to demonstrate these little-used skills in your current job, if it is appropriate. If, for example, one of your skills is being a good leader, you could start to lead your team a little more. If one of your skills is decision-making, you can put that to good use too. Show what you can do but don’t go too far; you don’t want to do too much extra work for free, as that will defeat the whole point. 

Start Your Own Business 

It might be that you don’t like the job you’re doing or the company you’re working for because you’re unable to showcase your skills and do work you really enjoy and are good at. It might be that you don’t want a promotion but that you’re finding it hard to find a new job to apply for. What are your options? 

One option is to create the job you want yourself. If there is something you could do that would utilise all your skills and bring you more money, this could be the ideal business idea – although there are certainly some things to think about before you launch a business. 

As with all the ideas on this list, you’ll need to know what your skills are and where your strengths lie. If you don’t work this out and if you’re not entirely objective about it, you’ll find that not only is your business not as successful as you need it to be to sustain a living, but you won’t really enjoy what you’re doing. This can actually lead to mental health issues like stress and depression, so it’s crucial you make the right choice – you really do need to enjoy your work where possible, and not dislike it at the very least. 

When you’re starting a business, you’ll have plenty of competition to deal with. Because of this, it’s important to define your niche, and it is your skills that will help you do this. Whatever they may be, your business should revolve around what you do best – if you really do it well, you’ll certainly be able to use these skills to make more money. 

However, even if you do start a business that makes use of all your skills and makes you happy, you must also ensure that what you are doing is what people want. If it is, they will want to buy from you. If it’s not, they won’t. In the former situation, you will do well, but in the latter, you’ll have to start a new business, go back to your old job (or a similar job), or learn to live with less money. Any of these things is possible, but they’re not ideal. This is why you need to carry out market research. Find out whether or not your business idea is viable by sending out questionnaires, asking questions on social media, or perhaps, if your budget will stretch, engaging professional market researchers to get the answers for you. When you have the answers from your market research, you can create the business you want, using your skills, but also a business that will make money. 

Something to bear in mind is that starting a business is a risky time, and you are never guaranteed success. This is why it’s often a good idea to start your business as a side hustle rather than quitting your current job and starting from scratch. When you have a side hustle, you’ll have a safety net, and you can be sure you have everything right before you go it alone.