Career

How to Request a Bonus From Your Boss

February 22, 2021 By Vicky Monroe Leave a Comment

If you’ve hustled this year and brought in lots of new business for your employer, you may be considering making a bonus request. Although it can feel a little awkward to ask for money, you deserve to be recognized and compensated for your excellent performance.

Here’s the best way to frame a bonus request so it doesn’t come off the wrong way to your boss.

Pick a Good Time to Talk

Bonus requests usually go over best when you make them in person. Schedule a time to sit down and talk to your boss face-to-face.

Try to pick a time when you think your boss will be in a good mood. If they’re not a morning person, don’t ask for a meeting at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Go the Extra Mile

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, make sure you’re giving your all at work. Show up early and stay late. Meet all of your deadlines and go above and beyond the call of duty.

If your boss notices how hard you’re working, they may be more receptive to your bonus request when you make it.

Don’t Say You Need The Money

If you’re trying to pay off debt or max out your Roth IRA, getting a bonus can get you a lot closer to your goals. But don’t tell your boss that you want a bonus because you could use the money. It usually isn’t appropriate to bring up your personal finances at work.

Highlight Your Performance Instead

Your boss won’t give you a bonus just because you have credit card debt. But they may be open to granting your bonus request if you highlight all of the ways that you’ve improved the company’s bottom line this year.

Prepare for your meeting with your boss by making a list of your recent work achievements. Try to include statistics to show how your much hard work has directly benefited the company.

Don’t Push It

Many businesses have struggled because of the pandemic. So if your boss says that the company just doesn’t have enough money to give you a bonus, don’t be pushy or act disappointed.

If there isn’t enough wiggle room in the books to give employees more money, your boss may still be able to make other concessions. Ask about things like vacation days and stock options. If you want more flexible hours or work from home privileges, now may be a good time to bring it up.

However, if your performance is the reason your boss isn’t granting your bonus request, you’ll make things worse by requesting flextime or extra vacation days. Instead, follow up by asking your boss how you can improve in the coming year and get the bonus you want next time.

It can feel awkward to ask your boss for more money, especially during a pandemic when many businesses are struggling. But if you’ve delivered results that have kept your company afloat during this difficult time, you deserve to be compensated for your hard work.

Keep these tips in mind when you make your bonus request and you just might get that extra check you want.

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50 High Income Skills for 2021

February 10, 2021 By Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

The world seems like it’s changing so fast, doesn’t it? On the one hand, the global pandemic slowed life down in certain ways. But in other ways, like the ways we work, it has changed things dramatically. If you want to make money, then you have to be willing to pivot. So you might want to brush up on these high income skills for 2021.

What Is a High Income Skill?

Basically, it’s a specialized skill that anyone can learn in order to earn an income of five figures or more per month. Oftentimes, these skills require a college education. However, there are many ways to hack that education. In fact, lots of people have found that they can teach themselves or take shorter certification classes to begin developing high income skills.

Why It’s Important to Learn These High Income Skills in 2021

A lot of people are out there looking for new jobs. If you want to be relevant and in-demand then you need to learn (or brush up on) these high income skills in 2021. Even if you opt to work for yourself, knowing these skills will take you a long way. In addition to furthering your own business abilities, you’ll be able to recognize these skills in people you’re seeking to hire.

Most Important High Income Skills for 2021

We perused the entire first page of Google results to find out what people are agreeing on when it comes to the most important high income skills for 2021. There are three types of high income skills to explore further: skills in technology, trade skills, and skills related to teaching and leadership.

High Income Skills in Technology

Unsurprisingly, most of the high income skills recommended for learning in 2021 are related to technology. After all, we’re living in a mobile app / Zoom world. A lot of life takes place online. Therefore, a lot of people need to help build that online world. If you can get great at any of the following skills, then you should be able to earn good money in 2021:

Affiliate marketing
AI/ Machine Learning
Audio production
Big data analyst
Blockchain
Chatbot marketing
Cloud computing
Copywriting including blog posts, newsletters, and web pages
Cryptocurrency
Cybersecurity
Digital marketing
Ecommerce expert (which incorporates some of the other skills including email marketing and web design)
Email marketing
Mobile / app development
SEO / SEM
Social media management
Software engineering / development
Video production
Web design / development including ui/ux design
WordPresss developer

Some of these are skills that you can put to use immediately. For example, lots of people need help right now with SEO, WordPress development and copywriting. If you’re good at those and put in the hours, then you can earn a good steady income. On the other hand, some of these are cutting edge skills worth developing for a higher future income: AI and machine learning, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and cybersecurity fall into this category.

Sign-up to these technology related freelance marketplaces to earn from your high income skill.

Platforms	Best For:
Fiverr	Finding Freelancers
Bark	Finding Unique Freelancers
Appjobs	Gig Economy Professionals

Trade Skills to Learn in 2021

There are plenty of people who are sick of the online world. They want to get their hands dirty. Think of how many people are turning to crafting, bread baking, backyard beekeeping and rooftop farming. We have an internal need for these things.

If you’re smart, entrepreneurial, and a little bit lucky then you might be able to earn a good income doing any of those things. For example, there are knit and crochet designers who also teach, author books, and earn an income from their blogs. Some of them are earning six figure salaries.

Of course, you might also want to simply learn the kind of trade skill that allows you to easily go work for someone else – with the potential to start your own business in the future. If that sounds right to you then consider the following:

Carpenter / construction manager
Dental hygienist
Electrician
Elevator repairman
Home inspector
HVAC technician
Landscaper
Mechanic – for cars, airplanes, and other machinery
Nurse
Phlebotomist
Plumber
Powerline repair technician
Respiratory therapist
Solar and wind power technicians

Teaching and Coaching Skills

Many people are best skilled at teaching others how to do things. Sometimes this falls into the “trade” category. However, the emphasis is really on your ability to help other people develop their own skills and talents. Some of the related high income skills for 2021 include:

Business coaching particularly with a specialty for certain types of businesses
Consulting work
Meditation and yoga
Project management

With all of these teaching and coaching skills, your best bet is going to be if you can do the work both online and offline. In other words, you’ll make the most money with a multi-pronged approach. In addition to teaching or coaching online, you should aim to develop your own online courses, audio books, video tutorials, etc. Put your teaching skills to use in several different ways to create varied income streams that will help you earn the income that you want to earn in 2021 and beyond.

More High Income Skills for 2021

In addition to the three major categories above, you might want to consider skill development in the following areas. These may be a career path and/or a boost to any number of other careers:

Influencer, working with one or more brands
Investing and day trading
Legal and admin skills
Public speaking
Sales, especially of high ticket items including real estate, jewelry, and vehicles
Sales funnel skills, which ties sales in with ecommerce and web marketing
Translation services

Developing Broad Skills for Use Across Careers

Tony Robbins takes a different approach to figuring out the best high income skills for 2021. Instead of focusing on career skills that you can develop, he emphasizes developing your own personal growth skills. Then you can apply these to whatever career path you might choose. Moreover, they’ll help you out if you have to pivot again to a new career in the future. These types of skills include:

Big picture thinking and thinking ahead
Communication skills
Knowing and sticking to what you’re passionate about
Reliability; be someone others can count on
Soft skills (empathy, listening, collaborating)

If you can apply these skills to one of the high income careers listed above then you’re likely to come out ahead in 2021.

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What Is the Minimum Wage in Dover, Delaware?

February 9, 2021 By Vicky Monroe Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for a job in Delaware, you may be wondering, what is the minimum wage in Dover?

Workers in retail, warehousing, and the restaurant industry are often paid minimum wage. But if you receive tips or you’re an independent contractor, you may not be eligible for the state minimum wage.

If you’re wondering what hourly wage you can expect to earn in different entry-level roles in Dover, keep reading.

What Is a Minimum Wage?

The minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate that an employer can legally pay a covered nonexempt employee.

A covered nonexempt employee is basically an hourly worker who’s eligible for the minimum wage and overtime pay. Most employees fall into this category, except for certain types of workers like independent contractors. They aren’t legally entitled to the minimum wage because they aren’t considered employees.

Tipped employees are also exempt from the minimum wage. Their employers are only required to pay them $2.13 per hour. But if they don’t earn enough tips to bring them up to the federal or state minimum, the employer must make up the difference.

The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour. But some states, cities, and counties have higher base wages that can increase your pay rate.

Nearly 30 states including Delaware have minimum wage laws that require employers to pay workers more than the federal standard. Some big cities like San Francisco have also chosen to raise base wages to help workers afford the high cost of living.

Now that you know what a minimum wage is, here’s some more info about the current minimum wage in Dover, Delaware.

What Is the Minimum Wage in Dover, Delaware?

As of October 1, 2019, the minimum wage in Dover is $9.25 an hour. Employers can pay workers in training and minors ages 14 to 17 at a lower rate of $8.75 per hour.

Delaware’s minimum direct wage for tipped employees is slightly higher than the federal minimum at $2.23 per hour. If workers don’t make the full state minimum after tips are factored in, employers have to pay them enough to bring them up to it.

The minimum wage in Dover is the same as the state minimum wage. A bill to increase Delaware’s base wage to $15 an hour is likely to be introduced in the state senate this year.

Under the proposed plan, the minimum wage would rise to $11 in 2022 and undergo yearly increases until it reached $15 an hour in 2026.

Is It a Living Wage?

A living wage is the amount of money you need to afford basic necessities like housing, food, transportation, and medical expenses without assistance. It doesn’t factor in the funds you’d need for retirement savings or fun experiences like travel.

According to calculations by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a living wage for a single adult in Delaware is approximately $12.44 an hour. The minimum wage in Dover falls short of this at just $9.25 per hour.

To make ends meet, you may need to live with roommates or take on a side hustle like driving for Uber. You can also try to upskill to get a job with a higher rate of pay.

Do you think the minimum wage in Dover, Delaware is high enough? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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What Is the Minimum Wage In Denver, Colorado

February 3, 2021 By Allen Francis Leave a Comment

Have you ever wondered why Denver, Colorado is known as the “Mile High City?” Denver is situated exactly 5,280 feet, or one mile, above sea level. As a result of its elevation, Denver has over 300 days of sunshine and sunny weather annually. Denver also has over 200 beer breweries and microbreweries, which is the greatest number of breweries per capita relative to other cities. Also, you will get drunk easier because of Denver’s situational elevation and rarified air (alcohol will hit you 3% harder than at sea level). Do you love playing golf? Golf balls fly about 10% farther in Denver than in any city at sea level. The state capitol building in Denver was constructed with rose onyx, a material first discovered in Pueblo, Colorado in 1893. Since rose onyx has basically become depleted, the Denver Capitol is the only building to be adorned with the material. There are plenty of fun facts you should know about Denver, especially if you plan on moving there. And if you are planning to move there, then there is one question that you should ask; what is the minimum wage in Denver?

What is a Minimum Wage?

Before we explain the minimum wage in Denver, and hopefully before you pack your bags and head over there, we must first explain the minimum wage in more detail.

The minimum wage is a federally, state, or municipal mandated dollar per hour remuneration that must be paid as a baseline wage for eligible workers.

For example, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The federal minimum wage has not increased since July 2009.

However, the state minimum can be higher or lower than the federal minimum wage depending on where you live. The U.S. Department of Labor has an interactive map where you can learn the minimum wage in each state.

Georgia and Wyoming are the only two states that pay a minimum wage well below the federal standard. Both states only pay a $5.15 minimum wage.

So, now that we understand the concept of the minimum wage better, what is the minimum wage in Denver?

What Is the Minimum Wage in Denver?

As of January 2021, the minimum wage in Denver is $12.32 per hour. In 2020, the minimum wage in Denver was only $12 per hour.

The Denver City Council increased the local minimum wage to $14.77 per hour, however that wage standard applies to employment relative to the council’s purview.

What you should keep in mind that Denver has a high cost of living standard. If you are a single adult with no children, you would need to make at least $30,000 or more to make a living wage.

A living wage is the amount of amount you need to make to satisfy the current cost of living standards. And the cost-of-living standards of the city you live in could be a lot higher than what a minimum wage pays you.

The average house in Denver costs $438,000. A typical house in New York City costs $403,000.

And a one-bedroom apartment in Denver costs $1,064 a month.

The minimum wage in California is $14 an hour. However, there are several cities and counties in California that pay citizens $15 per hour.

You can also make $15 per hour in Washington, D.C. However, the cost-of-living standards in California and Washington, D.C. is just as high, or higher, than in Denver.

Make sure you plan your personal budget and cost-of-living needs before moving to Denver or any other city.

Do you think the minimum wage in Arizona is high enough? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Diversify Your Income And Save Money

January 27, 2021 By Joe Wallace Leave a Comment

What does it mean to diversify your income in order to save money? If you are new to the idea of multiple income streams or multiple revenue streams, you might wonder why it pays to have more than one job. At least that’s true until you establish a financial goal you want to reach in as short an amount of time possible.

A traditional American way of life involves having one “main job” and many choose to work a part-time gig to help make ends meet.

That’s the simplest version of multiple income streams and a pretty effective one, too–especially if you choose a side hustle that pays well. Many choose gig-based work such as freelance writing, content creation, social media management, etc. while others may choose jobs that pay tips and reward good customer service.

But no matter what you choose, the outcome is the same–you have more than one revenue stream and if you plan your budget carefully you could find the extra money has the potential to pile up.

How To Diversify Your Income To Save Money

It’s not that you need any special coaching to apply for a second job–far from it. But what some people don’t realize about working more than one gig or adding a side hustle to help them save money? Being proactive to avoid burnout, job fatigue, quitting because of stress, etc. How do people who work all day at one job turn right around and report to ANOTHER job for part of all of their evening?

One way is to be smart about the side gigs you choose. Some people try to avoid getting a second job that is too similar to their main work. Do you work on your feet all day? A side gig that does NOT require you to keep standing a few hours more makes a LOT of sense.

Do you spend all your time answering calls, performing support work, or processing orders? Chances are good that a side hustle to help you get your financial goals accomplished should not feature any of these things.

Finding An At-Home Gig

Sometimes being able to work from home is the best, but some people simply don’t think to give themselves permission to look for such work. There are many customer service jobs that allow you to answer calls from your own home provided you have the appropriate computer/internet equipment to handle the work.

Other types of stay-at-home jobs involve writing, proofreading, editing, writing whitepapers or doing research, or even acting as a personal assistant. Check these marketplaces for job openings.

Platforms	Best For:
Fiverr	Finding Freelancers
Bark	Finding Unique Freelancers
Appjobs	Gig Economy Professionals

The key to finding such work lies in your ability to research local job posts, national calls for applications, etc. online using resources such as LinkedIn, Indeed, etc. But you can also find job-specific support groups and job boards. Have you looked in your local Facebook Marketplace, as well?

Turn A Hobby Into Income

Musicians, photographers, artists, woodworkers, and people good at crafting all find additional income opportunities by selling their wares or their skills online via Etsy, Patreon, and other platforms. You can diversify your income in this way, but it takes getting to know the various platforms and building a following there using best practices (NO SPAM!!).

While “turn your hobby into a diverse revenue stream” is fairly generalized advice, here’s one very specific thing you can do to see if you can turn your skills into income locally–look into local farmer’s markets, artist collectives, event spaces, and annual maker fairs to see if other people are vending or selling in ways you’re tempted to try yourself.

Don’t let the presence of “competition” worry you–this simply means there’s a real market for what’s being sold and you have a shot at that, too!

Turn Spare Change to Savings

Try these savings apps to turn your spare change to savings. It is never too late to start saving.

App	Fess and minimum:	Best for:
Digit	30-day free trial period. $5 per month	Setting aside automatically
Acorns	$1 per month	Spare change investing.
Qapital	$3 membership	Letting you set rules to automate savings.

Everything You Need to Know About Essay Writing

January 19, 2021 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

Editors note: With the increasing prevalence of gig work, there has been more demand to cover alternative writing methods. For all the freelance and gig workers out there, this article is for you.

Essay writing is an important part of the learning process, and all institutions consider it essential in skills development and for academic functions. Essay writing is a piece of paper that allows a student to express their perspective on a given story or topic. While there are different types of essays, their purpose is to persuade or inform the reader.

While essay writing forms a critical part of the academic journey, students often get overwhelmed. Help from online essay writers is something they appreciate as it makes their educational journey more seamless and reduces the pressure. Millions of students across the world use essay mills to allow them adequate time management, expand their ideas, and boost their GPA.

Types of Essays

There are different essay writing types, and they are categorized into descriptive essays, argumentative essays, expository and narrative essays.

1. Descriptive Essays

As the name suggests, a descriptive essay provides a detailed description ranging from emotions, objects, and places. Descriptive essays test a learner’s creativity as it allows them to self-express and use their own words to provide the reader with a vivid image of what they are describing.

Often descriptive essay assignments come in the form of a prompt that asks you to describe an experience, others’ experience, and objects. In cases where a prompt has not been provided, the writer is allowed to describe something they are most comfortable with.

To write a quality descriptive essay, you should use figurative language with tools such as similes and metaphors, including sensory details such as smell. In descriptive essay writing, you also have to choose the right words to give a precise description.

2. Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays are inclined to evidence-based arguments. The writer is required to select a topic, investigate it, get evidence, and use it to establish a stand on the topic. Doing detailed research is critical for a quality argumentative essay.

An excellent argumentative essay is featured by a concise thesis statement to start your essay, a seamless transition of thoughts to build the paper’s body, and a conclusion that revisits your position in the argument.

Argumentative essay writing requires evidential support: anecdotal, factual, and statistical. Your argumentative essays should be guided by the objective of helping the reader understand your perspective and support your idea.

3. Expository Essays

Expository essay writing requires the student to investigate a topic, get evidence on the subject, and develop an argument on the same. Expository essays can take the following shapes: process, cause and effect, problem and solution, classifications and comparing, and contrasting.

An expository essay’s objective is to relay information, be clear, well organized, and unbiased. When writing your essay, teach your readers the selected subject by giving detailed information on the same in a logical and formal manner.

4. Narrative Essays

As the name suggests, narrative essays tell a story. A narrative essay can be personal, anecdotal, or experiential. Just like descriptive essays, they allow students to get creative and express themselves. Being a story, a narrative essay must be featured by characters, plot, setting, and a climax. Worth noting is that not all narrative essays take the shape of a story, such as book reports.

At the end of your story, you should make a point and have an authoritative perspective. Concise and unambiguous language is expected, and the first person is allowed. And just like other essays, you should stay organized.

How to Write an Excellent Essay

Whether it is an expository, argumentative, narrative, or descriptive essays, learning how to write perfect ones will improve your GPA. The first step to instill confidence in your writing is by reading through and understanding the prompts provided. Once you understand a prompt, you will be in a better position to choose an appropriate topic. Selecting the right topic will set the precedence for successful writing.

Creating an outline before you start writing your essay will make your job more comfortable and give your essay a structure to allow a smooth flow of thoughts. Regardless of the type, every essay should have a purpose, which makes the thesis statement a critical part of your essay.

The conclusion paragraph is also essential in essay writing as it allows you to sum up your thoughts and tactfully bring the topic to a close. The one mistake that students make when writing the conclusion is introducing new ideas. It should only articulate and summarize points you have already covered.

Conclusion

Familiarizing yourself with the different types of essays will help inform your writing. You will be aware of the writing style you should employ in the specific paper and your objectives. The essays often take the same structure of having an introduction, body, and conclusion. The only difference is the objective and the choice of words.

For more great saving advice articles on career, read these:

Thirty-one ways to improve your career today

Careers With The Biggest Bonuses

Match Your Career To Your Personality

Dress for Success

How to Request a Bonus From Your Boss

Pick a Good Time to Talk

Go the Extra Mile

Don’t Say You Need The Money

Highlight Your Performance Instead

Don’t Push It

50 High Income Skills for 2021

What Is a High Income Skill?

Why It’s Important to Learn These High Income Skills in 2021

Most Important High Income Skills for 2021

High Income Skills in Technology

Trade Skills to Learn in 2021

Teaching and Coaching Skills

More High Income Skills for 2021

Developing Broad Skills for Use Across Careers

Read More:

What Is the Minimum Wage in Dover, Delaware?

What Is a Minimum Wage?

What Is the Minimum Wage in Dover, Delaware?

Is It a Living Wage?

What Is the Minimum Wage In Denver, Colorado

What is a Minimum Wage?

What Is the Minimum Wage in Denver?

Read More

Diversify Your Income And Save Money

How To Diversify Your Income To Save Money

Finding An At-Home Gig

Turn A Hobby Into Income

Turn Spare Change to Savings

Everything You Need to Know About Essay Writing

Types of Essays

1. Descriptive Essays

2. Argumentative Essays

3. Expository Essays

4. Narrative Essays

How to Write an Excellent Essay

Conclusion