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Career Career & Education

How to Diversify Your Income With a 9-5 Job

Many people dream of making more money than what their 9-5 job makes them. Whether it’s to get to a goal faster or as a way to move away from making money on the 9-5 schedule entirely, there are several ways to make money on the side that won’t take away from your regular work schedule.

The gig economy and side hustles have exploded in recent years. All you need is the drive to extend your money-making efforts outside of normal working hours. Some jobs require creativity but others just require your time. Here are some ways to diversify your income, regardless of your extra abilities.

Take Surveys

There are several places where you can get paid to take surveys. Marketing companies want to ensure that their campaigns are effective. Many survey places give out points that you can convert to money. All you have to do is watch a video and take a survey to get the points.

The money taking surveys doesn’t net a huge amount, typically you can make about $100 a month, but that can go a long way to meeting a financial goal. It also only requires your time and ability to be honest about your opinions on what you just watched.

Driving Services

With ride services like Uber and Lyft, it’s very easy to make extra money as long as you know how to drive and have your own car. You can drive as often as you want for as long as you want. Everything is done through the mobile app so you don’t need anything extra.

The amount that you make depends on how often you’re willing to drive. You can work whenever though, driving people to and from the airport or home after a night out. This way of making money offers a lot of flexibility.

Get Creative

If you have a creative streak, you can use that to make extra money. Whether you are a photographer, drawer, painter, or jeweler, you can put those skills to good use and make money. You can sell your creations online through Etsy and operate a business.

The money you make here depends heavily on how much people are willing to pay for your art. It will also depend on how much time you devote to new creations. If you create a lot of unique pieces that people are willing to pay for, you can have a successful side business quickly.

Conclusion

Making more money through side businesses can be a great way to work towards a specific goal or to have more money to budget with regularly. No matter what additional skills you have, as long as you have time you can make extra money outside of your regular 9-5 work schedule.

These side-hustles can lead to something bigger or simply contribute to some extra household income for a bit. Either way, you can work on additional skills and money without t    

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Career Career & Education

8 Virtual Interview Tips to Help You Land the Job

The interview landscape has changed significantly in the past year, let’s take a look at the best tips for remote interviews.

1.   Location, Location, Location

Sure, you’re stuck at home, maybe even on another lockdown, that doesn’t mean your interview backdrop has to look like it. Make a conscious effort to place your computer where you will have a blank background, or perhaps a bookshelf or houseplant behind you. Keep it professional, or at the very least, neutral.

2.   Be Ready

Not on time, but technically ready. Have your appropriate plug-ins and updates installed and ready. Test your camera and mic, so that you aren’t showing up to your interview with no video, or a critical system update that won’t let you snooze it.

3.   Dress For The Job You Want

Wardrobe selection is just as important here as it is for a traditional interview. Make sure your selection fits the situation, and if unclear, your HR contact point should be able to provide clear guidance. Generally, you want to avoid chunky or distracting jewelry and excessively bright colors.

4.   Personal Space

Make sure you are positioned effectively for your interview. Check your setup and distance from the camera with a friend if needed. Make sure you aren’t hunched over in front of your computer, but make sure you aren’t 8 feet away. Place your camera a comfortable distance away, sit up straight, and don’t fidget with things on your desk during the interview.

5.   Practice Makes Perfect

Go over and practice your answers to potential questions, so that they are clear and concise. Give yourself an honest chance to purge all of your “um”, “uh”, and “well…” fillers from your repertoire. Make sure you iron out all of your grammar and double-check any typed responses for accuracy.

6.   Do A Dry Run

With the help of an honest friend or family member, run an entire mock interview. Not only will it give you a chance to go through the process front to back, but it will let you test your tech again to make sure the interview connection will be perfect.

7.   Be Your Own Best Cheerleader

With virtual interviews, it can be challenging from an employer’s perspective, to get a real feel of the person being interviewed in a virtual environment. That initial “vibe” can be crucial, so make sure you tell them why you feel you’re a good fit so that they can feel it. Highlight your qualifications, achievements, and so on, and be enthusiastic about them.

8.   Be Your Best You

You aren’t going to be interviewed extensively at first, your potential employer is looking to see in a more general sense if you seem like a good fit for the company. The best way to lower your stress is to just be yourself. Don’t worry about what you think they want to hear, just tell them who you are. This will always give you the best shot at finding the best fit for you too.