Let’s start with something most of us can relate to: our own 9-to-5 jobs.  How can you make more money from your current job?  The answer is to make your current job your past job — in other words, trade up. 

Some people get too comfortable in their jobs.  They can’t wait to get a raise, but when they do, they are disappointed.  Some people are just happy to have a job.  Others feel they have to work their whole lives at one place like their parents did.

If you don’t see yourself being promoted in your current job anytime soon, you should look elsewhere.  It doesn’t hurt to conduct a job search, as long as you keep it private.  And, when you have another job in place, sometimes telling your company you are moving on is enough to inspire them to re-evaluate your worth. The bottom line is to always be looking at the job market.

You might be more comfortable with the security of a regular paycheck, but make sure you maximize your potential.  You should always know your market value.  Maybe you don’t think you’re getting paid enough and will find out you are right where you should be.  On the other hand, you may be surprised what someone with your skills could be making. 

Your job situation will not change until you make it change.  Looking for a new job is certainly not fun, and in many cases it can be stressful.  This is why most of us never get beyond just thinking about it.  You may not even know where to start.

One of the best places is an employment agency.  They will work to find you a better job, especially if you have experience.  The competition among job placement agencies can only help you more.  They will help you get your resume in order and can give you interview experience and tips as well. 

While they are helping you, ask a lot of questions about your job industry, such as:
* What skills are hot now? 
* Where do you see the industry going? 
* What certifications or coursework could help me? 

The answers to these questions are invaluable, and employment agencies know them better than anyone.  They know what employers are asking for, what skills these companies need, and which skills are most valuable.  Doing this research yourself could take 10 times longer than the 15-minute conversation you could have with them. 

If you have a career in the professional or technical service industry, you have even more options.  The fast expansion of the Internet has opened many new doors, allowing you to supply your services to a potentially worldwide market.  Providing your services to the online community can cause a huge increase in your salary — even two to three times what you’re currently earning. 

You may even be able to quit your day job and work for yourself, deciding when you want to work, how many hours you want to work, and what you want to charge for your services. You may even get more work than you can handle.

Maybe you are not a professional, but a store clerk who does woodworking as a hobby.  The Internet is a great way to turn your hobby into a potential source of income.  There are numerous places to sell your products at a minimal cost to you.  If you see a high demand for your products, you may even want to start your own website and hire a helper.

If you do decide to market your products or services on the Internet, it’s not too expensive and you do not need web skills.  There are thousands of web design and hosting offerings.  You can get a six-page web site — plenty to advertise your services — custom designed for as little as $600, and hosted for under $100 a year. 

If you feel ambitious, most web hosts also provide tools for $100 or less per year to help you easily create your own site.  Find a reputable company with good tech support to help you along the way.  You can even hire a company to help market your site to get even more exposure.  With a little research, you will find that it’s not as difficult or expensive as you might think. 

Working for yourself is a lot like buying a product wholesale: you are cutting out the middleman, so you won’t incur a lot of the expenses of a large company.  As a result, you can make more profit doing the same line of work.

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