--- title: How to Get a Better Job (and Make More Money) Right Now description: Want a better job and more money? Follow these expert-approved tips. authors: - name: Kristen Bahler role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/kristen-bahler/ bio: Kristen Bahler has spent more than a decade turning culture, work and consumer spending trends into conversation-driving stories. Today, she leads Money's sponsored content channel and reader-favorite franchises like Best Places to Live and Best Places to Travel. education: Northeastern University, MA Journalism at_money_since: 2016 articles: 52 covers: - Career Advice - Banking - Business - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-bahler/ published: '2019-01-15T11:00:44.000Z' modified: '2024-04-02T05:04:15.000Z' section: Career Advice tags: - work word_count: 484 canonical: https://money.com/how-to-get-a-better-job-and-make-more-money/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![190114-get-a-new-job](https://img.money.com/2019/01/190114-get-a-new-job.jpg) At last count, there were about 7 million open jobs in the U.S. — a near-record high. And while wages are up for everyone, job switchers are raking in [more money](https://www.frbatlanta.org/chcs/wage-growth-tracker?panel=1) than those who stay put. So for many workers, the easiest way to get a salary bump this year is to get a new job altogether. "Sometimes you can't fight city hall, and a salary jump in one go is hard to engineer \[at your current job\]," says Liz Dolan, host of Wondery's [Safe for Work](https://wondery.com/shows/safe-for-work/) podcast and a former Chief Marketing Officer at brands like Nike, and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Eyeing greener pastures? [Beef up your résumé](https://money.com/best-free-resume-template/) and read Dolan's best tips for landing a new gig in 2019. ## Write Down Your Professional Vision Before you start sending out résumés, jot down a few ideas of what you want your next job to look like. This will help narrow things down when you tap your network and sort through job ads. And it might even curry favor with a hiring manager. "I always want to see self awareness, some spark that shows me you've made specific choices about your work life," Dolan says. "If they can't articulate some vision for themselves professionally, that's a real turnoff for me." ## Network With Your Past You'll have a better understanding of what's going on in your field if you already have an active network of resources. But if you've lost contact with old colleagues, don't be afraid to shoot them an email, or message them on Facebook, and see if they're up for grabbing a coffee. Be casual—you're just reconnecting, not begging for a job. "People get freaked out by the term "networking," " Dolan says. "But if you've generally stayed in touch with people you like and respect, that's the best way to find a job." ## Ask a Hiring Manager What Keeps Him or Her Up at Night In interviews, job seekers tend to get so caught up in the idea of "selling" themselves that they don't do enough listening, Dolan says. To really impress hiring managers, she suggests asking about the specific challenges facing their departments. Why are they hiring for this job right now? What problems need solving? You'll also need to talk about how you can help ease these pain points, but don't worry about coming up with a solution on the spot. "Let them describe what's keeping them up at night, and then go home and think about it," Dolan says. "It's the perfect way to follow up." ## Know Your Market Value Free salary calculators, like Glassdoor's [Know Your Worth](https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/know-your-worth.htm) tool, let you plug in your experience, education, and location to estimate your market value. Use them! “It’s part of your job to know what you’re worth in the open market,” Dolan says. “There’s a wealth of data about how people get paid. 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