Living on a minimum wage job can often be the reason why your finances are not really finances; they are subsistence living. Often you may hear from politicians, parents or even your employer, “well go get a better job.” Without any employable skills, the money to get a better education and a family to take care, how exactly do you move beyond these minimum wage jobs?
Simple Living Australia has outlined some tips on ways to move up the job ladder and get a better wage.
It Starts with Strict Budgeting
The first step on this road is to embrace the subsistence living you are currently living and put yourself on a strict budget as well as reach out to the hundreds of resources to boost your ability to provide for your family. From food banks to charities that give money for utilities; use every single resource in your city to better your position. Once you have devised a budget and are receiving ever single benefit, grant or charity program you can, start putting money away. Whether it is $20 or $50 a month, it does not matter as long as you start saving.
Only by putting some money away will you be able to start bettering your job prospects through getting some sort of employable skill in an industry that is better paying and needs entry-level employees.
Pay for an Employable skill
You do not have to go to a top League school to get an entry-level employable skill. Technically you do not even have to go to a community college. There are community certificates, diplomas and seminars on accounting basics, basic computer programming, learning to write seminars and more that can get you started. Do not pay for a “get rich quick scheme on real estate” or some other scheme, these will not give you an employable skill. Often these basic seminars on accounting, marketing, writing, computer programming and other direct skills are offered at a discounted rate, online or in the evenings.
Now you have a certificate in basic accounting, but feel it’s barely worth the paper it is written on as most companies will not even give you an interview without some experience and this is the same trap where many give up.
Get Your First Experience that Counts
Definitely you should build a resume that highlights your new found education and start applying for every job in that industry that is even remotely related. However, you will get more rejections because of the lack of an actual degree or the commensurate experience that even entry-level positions expect. This is where you need to start building connections into the field you want to enter, which is not always easy but with persistence is possible.
First approach the same charity and non-profit organisations that help you out on a monthly basis and offer some volunteer time in the chosen industry. By gaining a free volunteer position it gives you the base experience that will be expected to get hired in a position. However, even more important is that you are building bridges and networks that can actually help you land a better job.
This process will take time, in some cases years, but is one way to get beyond the damaging cycle of minimum wage jobs that affect many Australians.
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