“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

-King Solomon (circa 950 BC)

10 Proven Ways to Increase Income and Jump-Start Your Career

Imagine with me.

You’re staring at your bank account. It’s nearly empty. No assets, no steady income, no one lining up to hire you. Bleak.

What now?

Most people would tell you to ‘just get a job,’ but that’s not always possible.

This is where the Wealth Expedition begins—turning nothing into something, one step at a time.

If you’ve ever wondered if there are ways to increase income when traditional jobs are scarce, you’re not alone. Learning how to boost income and create opportunities from scratch is one of the first steps toward financial independence.

Abundance is achieved through investing upward — that is, taking what you have to start with, and rolling it over and over, like a snowball, until you have an avalanche.

It’s not just about money—it’s about creating opportunities, stacking skills, and compounding results over time until you have both freedom and abundance.

If you’re at Stage 1, you’re not investing money yet—you’re investing you.

My Start From Zero

When I graduated university, one of my professors said,

“You’re graduating at one of the worst times possible.”

Great.

It was the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Degrees didn’t guarantee jobs. Employers wanted experience—and if you didn’t have it, you didn’t even get an interview.

If you applied somewhere “beneath” your degree, they saw you as overqualified and passed you over. No one wanted turnover risk. I was stuck in the middle.

Looking back, I realize there were things I could have done differently—moves that would have sped up my career and built my financial foundation faster.

If I’d focused earlier on practical ways to increase my income and enhance career growth through skill stacking and practical experience, the road would have been much shorter.

If I could go back and give my younger self a plan, it would look like this.

Choose a specific job role as a definite goal

Focus on understanding your personality strengths and weaknesses. Use personality tests like the Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs to help guide you toward a job type that is most likely to play to the strengths of your personality. The goal is to get started on the right track rather than having to switch tracks years later because you chose the “wrong” career path. Once you’ve identified that target role, connect with a job recruiter who can be your advocate and help you navigate toward landing jobs that align with your personality and purpose.

Internships (if still in university)

I underestimated the importance of internships when I was in university. Even if they are unpaid, the experience they provide is worth every hour you commit to them. And many internships are no longer available to you once you graduate. You either take advantage of them while a student or forever forfeit their potential.

Offer free (or ultra low cost) services

Think of it as paying for experience—with your time. Examples:

• Build a website for a local shop for free.
• Volunteer to do bookkeeping for a nonprofit.
• Offer analysis or tech help on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer at a starter rate.

Hiring managers often value proof of work over job titles.

These small projects are one of the simplest ways to increase your income and your credibility at the same time—each one builds the foundation for your next opportunity.

Rent out high-ticket items you already own

This isn’t forever—it’s a jumpstart. Increasing income at this stage doesn’t mean overworking or inconveniencing your life; it means getting creative with the resources you already have. Then use the extra income to pay for courses or tools that level you up.

• Turn a room into an Airbnb.
• Rent out your car on Turo.
• Offer attic or garage storage space on Neighbor.
• Rent out cameras, drones, instruments, power tools, bikes, or adventure gear, and just about anything else you can think of on sites like Fat Llama.

These creative methods can temporarily increase monthly income and fund the skills that help you grow faster later on.

Take the job that will hire you

This is not the time to allow pride to get in the way of practical income. If you’re a graduate but have only been offered a job at the local grocery store, take it — assuming you’ve given ample time and effort pursuing better opportunities. Having an income and some experience is better than having none at all. Use that income to practice budgeting techniques and investing strategies at the level you can afford.

Even an entry-level job can become one of the best ways to increase income if you approach it as a stepping stone—an opportunity to improve your career while gaining real-world results you can leverage later.

Even little investments early on can make a huge difference down the road.

Track wins/metrics

Regardless of what job you hold, keep a running list of specific incidents that you want to highlight to hiring managers in the future.

• Specific problems you solved
• Results you achieved
• Challenges you overcame

Relate these to the skills and experience needed for that dream job role that you’re ultimately aiming for.

These become gold for resumes, interviews, and networking conversations.

This level of documentation helps you enhance career growth and proves to hiring managers that you know how to deliver measurable results.

Courses/classes for certificates, designations or degrees

Continuous education is one of the most reliable ways to boost income and better your career long-term, even if you’re starting with no assets.

It’s easier than ever to learn just about any in-demand skill online and at your own pace. Be a constant learner. And, if possible, learn in a way which gives you something specific you can reference to future employers: a course completion certificate, a professional designation, or even a degree. This is the next best thing to experience, and these can make up for lack of experience.

Check out sites like Coursera, Udemy and LinkedIn Learning (and very soon, The Wealth Expedition membership site!) for excellent and affordable education opportunities.

Job shadowing

Imagine you land a job at a company where your dream job role, or something like it, exists.

But you’re in the entry level position.

Consider asking someone in that role if they would allow you to job shadow them for a day, or a few days, to learn better what it is they do and to gain insight into what the job takes to succeed. You’ll likely need to get approval from management, but it’s worth the ask.

It’s a practical, low-cost way to improve income potential by understanding how higher-level roles create and deliver value.

Use LinkedIn to build key connections

LinkedIn will reveal to you students who attended your university, or former employees of your current/past employer.

Send a polite note asking for a 15-minute call. These connections can:

• Offer insider insight into the job and company culture
• Share what hiring managers really want
• Sometimes put in a good word for you

Networking strategically is one of the best ways to increase income through mentorship, insider knowledge, and access to higher-paying opportunities. Who you know is still truly a game changer.

Grow your financial literacy

Focus on ever increasing your knowledge in the realms of budgeting, debt payoff, investing, and even business ownership if you’re entrepreneurially minded.

Financial knowledge amplifies every effort to increase income and build a more stable foundation for the future.

It’s a multiplier that makes every dollar you earn work harder for you, accelerating you to escape velocity.

This Is Stage 1 of Wealth Accumulation

Stage 1 is about turning what you have into something more. You may not have money, but you have:

• Time
• Energy
• Curiosity
• Willingness to work

These are assets. When you invest them well, they create the skills, connections, and small wins that lead to Stage 2: Some income and few assets—and from there, the snowball really starts to roll.

Your Move Today

If you’re at Stage 1, pick one of these actions to commit to this week:

• Start a running list of wins/metrics/challenges overcome. Be specific.
• Reach out to a business owner offering a free service.
• Contact someone on LinkedIn who works for a company, or in a role, which you are targeting. Politely request a 15-minute chat with them.
• Make a list of items you could rent out.
• Sign up for a free or affordable online course in your chosen field.

Each action compounds. Whether you’re earning new certifications or applying for your first role, these are proven ways to increase income and accelerate long-term career growth.

The journey from zero isn’t about giant leaps (although it sometimes happens). It’s about implementing consistent, creative ways to increase your income and enhance your career until you reach financial escape velocity.

King Solomon’s words still ring true 3,000 years later: