- Date : 21/06/2020
- Read: 5 mins
You don’t have to get a second job or freelance to increase your income. You can optimise on your 9-to-5 instead.
You must have heard time and again how essential it is to have multiple sources of income – maybe a side hustle. But a full-time job can be pretty demanding and time-consuming. It’s your major source of income, irrespective of how many side hustles you manage over the weekends or how smart you are with your investments. That’s understandable, and that’s why we’re here to tell you how to focus on your 9-to-5 and make the most of it.
1. Look for additional opportunities
Irrespective of the job you have or the industry you work in, chances are that in addition to your fixed pay, there’s a variable component to your salary. This can be in the form of your annual bonus scheme or target-linked incentives. Sometimes, the company may make these guidelines and targets clear from the get-go. At other times, you will have to ask around and be clear about the performance metrics that judge whether you’re eligible for such incentives or not.
Find out about your company’s promotion policy to understand what you need to achieve before you can be considered for a bigger role. You may need to get an additional certification or master certain skills. Lastly, check if your company has a sales or employee lead referral system. If there is one, you stand to make a little extra money every time the person you referred becomes a customer or employee.
Related: FAQs about the Employees' Provident Fund
2. Keep an account and be proactive
You may be brilliant at what you do, but if your efforts go unnoticed, it doesn’t help you progress at work at all. So make sure to maintain a list of all your achievements and contributions at the workplace right from the beginning. You can highlight these at the time of your annual appraisal. Try to showcase them so that your teammates and manager acknowledge your efforts. You have to be proactive about giving your manager timely updates and feedback.
Being assertive, constantly vouching for yourself and your skills, and proving them by taking on strategic projects – and perhaps even more responsibility when it’s required – will help build a positive and strong image of you at your workplace and in the minds of all those who matter.
3. Make use of structural benefits
You should reach out to your manager or HR to explore the various compensations and reimbursements on offer and understand the way your salary can be structured in a way that best suits you. The most basic of these would be allowances for communication, commute, rent, food, etc. Some benefits are tax-free, which means your disposable income increases. Additionally, health insurance for you and your dependents is something most companies provide, so make sure you have that.
Find out if your company reimburses you the cost of gaining certain certifications or attending industry-related conferences and seminars. What’s more, your company may have tie-ups with restaurants, country clubs, etc. where you can get discounts. Make the most of them.
Related: Group Insurance Schemes: How does it benefit employees and employers?
4. Change your routine for cost control
Consider your daily routine for a moment. Is it possible that it’s making you spend more than necessary? You should consider two important components of your routine – commute and food. This is where most people tend to overspend without realising it. Can you carpool, take public transport, or find a cheaper alternative? This will save both money and time. Can you change the time you leave for work? Often, starting out even 10 minutes earlier can save you a significant amount of time stuck in traffic.
As for food, bringing lunch from home daily is healthier and cheaper. You can order food when you have a stressful day or as a pick-me-up on occasion, but don’t make a habit of it. Please note that you don’t have to say yes to every invite to an after-office party or social outing.
5. Switch your job role
Ever looked at some people in your office and envied them for either their job role or their pay or both? Have you ever felt that you work harder and longer hours but still don’t seem to be paid fairly? Maybe it’s time to consider changing job roles. Look at the roles, projects, and departments in your company that interest you, and talk to your manager about a possible switch. This should work in your favour because your company would prefer to fill vacancies in-house rather than go through a fresh recruitment and selection process.
If this option is not available in your current company, you could look for opportunities outside your workplace. A lot of the time, certain strategic roles in an industry pay better than others.
Related: How to make your career switch a breeze
Are you excited to explore the options mentioned above? Along with these, you can also explore of the option of earning money online. Start planning right away on how to go about them – and good luck!
