The best way to earn more money is to have career skills that are desirable and marketable to hiring managers. If you’re like so many, whose new years resolution is money related, take a look at these skills that will help you land a job with more money or positions you for a raise.

Some of the top paying jobs include doctors, lawyers, and IT specialists but it’s the skills they have that help increase their income. The real earning power of these fields is the ability to specialize. If you can specialize in a field, you are bound to earn more, because there aren’t as many people with a specialization in a field. Jobs can be pretty broad, so keep your focus in one area. If you can afford to invest in your education, aim for certificates and degrees that are more specific, if you can’t afford a lot, consider courses that are offered for free or little to no cost or volunteer to gain valuable knowledge in a specific area.

Use soft skills like communication and teamwork for leverage. These are skills that can be hard to quantify but if you develop them and explain them in detail during a job interview, you will become more valuable and desirable to hiring managers.

Embrace technology. IT and other computer related jobs are becoming a hot commodity and these high-salary, high-growth jobs are opening new doors for a lot of people, so take time to learn about them. There are a lot of low-cost or even free resources to use when developing technology skills.

Using computers is the norm nowadays but go beyond the basics and learn new skills that can transition between new technology and systems will increase your desirability. The more digital applications and technology you can bring to the table, the more valuable you will be.

 

When the time comes to outline your skills, sit down and go over the skills that are most valuable to you and what you think will be most valuable to the career of choice. These career skills are easily attainable and many people have the majority, but fine-tuning them and turning them into a more specific area will only increase your income.