Career Hacks To Improve Your Life & Finances

These career hacks will turn your career from a daily grind into a daily investment in your future.

You Should Use Career Hacks

As employees we spend a lot of our lives at work.

A person working a standard 40 hour week, spends 36% of their waking hours for the week in the workplace. Another person working a 50 hour week spends 45% of their waking hours in the workplace. This is a huge piece of our finite lives.

For all that time and energy spent what do we get in return?

Consider that these numbers don’t include your commute, work taken home, or time spent thinking about that deadline, upcoming presentation or difficult colleague.

In return for the huge personal investment we make in our careers, we should expect huge rewards. These career hacks are about building an amazing life by bringing home more than just a pay check. What have you got to lose?

What You Have To Gain From Career HAcks

With a little planning, intention and creativity, your career can be a powerful way to:

• Make money;
• Save money;
• Build resilience;
• Learn new skills;
• Find your strengths;
• Expand your comfort zone;
• Create meaningful connections;

Your career is a tool that you can use to build your best life and achieve your potential.

If used properly, the benefits can far exceed the dollar value of your salary.

The Better Grind Career Philosophy

For most folks, the main purpose of a career is simply to make money. This money is used to support our families, ambitions and interests. We spend most of it and invest a little. We work until 65 years old until we have enough money to retire. That’s the plan.

What if your career wan’t just about making enough money to retire at a ripe old age of 65?

Unlike most folks, I am using my career to build a nest egg large enough to pay for all of my expenses, well before the traditional retirement age. This is called financial independence. I use career hacks to earn more and save more, then invest as much of that money as possible.

My career is also a playground to learn new skills, to explore my interests and strengths, to practice mindfulness, to practice optimism and to build relationships with some awesome people. These benefits are hard to quantify, but they stretch well beyond my day job.

This is my idea of the better grind.

FIVE Career HackS TO GET YOU STARTED

Whatever your situation, you can use career hacks to squeeze a little more benefit out of your day job. Here are five ideas to get you started.

1 – Front-Load Your Career

Front-loading your career means you put more time, effort and energy in at the beginning of your career. Then, you let the results of your effort compound over time.

This is exactly the same concept as front-loading investments. You invest as much as possible when you are young. Then, compound interest will grow your initial investments exponentially with time.

Examples of front-loading your career include:

• Earning a masters degree in night-school.
• Delivering over on your projects to build a reputation in your company and the industry.
• Taking a risk and working at a promising start-up.
• Learning as much as you can from those around you.
• Investing time in the evenings and weekends to hone your technical and business skills.

The benefit of front-loading is that you will gain a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience early in your career. You can learn by experience what you like and don’t like and take some risks to find a career that you enjoy.

When you are a rising star in your organisation, it’s easier to get the best opportunities and flexible work hours, remote working arrangements or international assignments. You will likely end up with a bigger salary and better work-life balance down the road.

2 – Enjoy the Benefits

It’s in your employer’s interests for you to be happy in the workplace. Happy employees are productive employees. For this reason, many companies offer a whole range of benefits including:

• Coffee and fruit;
• Lunch at meetings;
• Gym memberships or exercise classes;
• Wellness programs;
• Employee discount programs;
• Healthcare plans;
• Company Cars;

When these benefits are available to you, it’s easy to take them for granted. You’ll get that free massage next month. You’ll just buy a coffee on your way in to the office today.

Remember, these benefits are essentially part of your salary and if you don’t use them you’re missing out. Every dollar that you save as a result of enjoying these benefits can be invested to grow a nest egg for your future.

3 – Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is scientifically proven to reduce stress, increase focus and boost memory. It also increases relationship satisfaction, reduces emotional reactivity and a host of other awesome things.

Here’s the thing.

To be effective, mindfulness is best practiced in ‘real life’.

In the workplace you likely deal with stressful deadlines, annoying colleagues or difficult bosses on a daily bases. If your job isn’t sunshine, daisies and unicorns then I can guarantee it is brimming with opportunities to practice mindfulness.

This simple mindset hack is a game changer.

Are you feeling your heart rate rise before a difficult meeting with your manager? Notice this feeling. Take a deep breath and be grateful for the opportunity to practice mindfulness. Observe the physiological reaction, how interesting that your body is reacting in this way.

By practicing mindfulness in the workplace, you are strengthening those mindful muscles. Your career will benefit and so will every other aspect of your life.

Try one of these 10 Ways to Be More Mindful at Work.

4 – Leave on Time

It is possible to do an awesome job at work and to leave the office on time. Set the example for your team by crushing your tasks effectively and heading home at 5pm sharp. 

I use OneNote to plan and prioritise my task list for the week. You can read about my method and download the productivity planner here. 

Leaving on time is a win-win. Extended overtime is not sustainable.

You are giving your company your best effort, and then replenishing your energy by taking time to recharge. In the evenings you can enjoy quality time with family and friends, and take time to work on your hobbies and side hustles.

I know plenty of fellow bloggers who have successful careers and make thousands every month from their blogs and businesses like Julie from Millennial Boss.

5 – Make Strategic Career Shifts

Strategic career shifts can do great things for your finances and your professional development.

When you are a young professional, your skills and experience are increasing exponentially. Often, your employer will not be able to give you pay-rises to match.

The emphasis here is strategic.

You should always be moving somewhere with more opportunity, room for growth, or better rewards. There’s no need to change jobs just to move. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

What are your favourite career hacks?

There are so many career hacks to make sure that you are bringing home more than a pay check. What are your favourite career hacks? Share them in the comments below.