With the holidays coming to a close, your pocketbook is probably feeling the effects. And as the New Year begins, there’s no better time to think about boosting your career. Fortunately, Instawork can help you in both areas.
Whether you’re a long-time Instawork Professional or new to the platform, this article’s for you. Get ready to refill your bank account and refresh your career with these tips for the new year.
1. Expand your skills with different shifts
Just because you have experience in one area doesn’t mean you can’t explore other areas. If you’re a line cook, for example, you might want to try your hand at warehouse work. By broadening the types of shifts you take on, you expand your skill sets. That’s what happened after Instawork Pro Yonel A. signed up for prep cook shifts. “The chef and cooks taught me how to get better with my knife work and cooking skills,” Yonel said.
The more skills you have, the more shifts you qualify for. And because higher-skilled positions tend to pay better, you can often increase your earnings. You might even discover a new professional interest like Instawork Pro Kareem N. did after working a warehouse shift.
“I learned a ton from the staff there, and they actually got me interested in plumbing... My favorite thing about Instawork is making connections with people and gaining new skills.”
- Instawork Pro Kareem N.
2. Give yourself a promotion
One of the many perks of being your own boss? You can give yourself a promotion! How? Take on more responsibility and get paid more by working as a shift lead or event captain. This shows employers that you want to grow in your career, and may even set you up for management roles in the future.
3. Complete training to impress employers
Worried you don’t have the skills you need to try new shifts? No problem — just do some training first.
Instawork offers free online training for warehouse work. You can learn the basics of picking and packing, warehouse best practices, how to operate a forklift, and more. And when you finish any of these trainings, it will show up on your profile. Employers are more likely to hire someone with these verified skills under their belt, especially if you don’t have previous work experience.
4. Become a repeat Pro for your favorite employers
When you find an employer you like, it’s worth sticking with them. By signing up for more shifts with the same employer, you become more familiar with them and can get better and better at the job. Who knows? You might even get offered a permanent position if they’re looking to hire.
5. Exchange compliments with other Pros
Employers love seeing compliments on an Instawork Pro’s profile. It shows them that you’re a high-quality worker worth hiring. So leave a compliment for a Pro you’ve worked with before, and ask them to leave you one, too. By doing this, you’ll both help each other advance your careers.
6. Grow your network in the Instawork app
Networking is one of the best things you can do for your career, and we make it easy to do right inside the Instawork app. Expand your connections and increase your influence by adding people from your contacts, or Pros you’ve worked with before.
This can help you do things like:
- Land more shifts: See where people in your network are working, share shifts with each other, and leave recommendations for each other.
- Get someone to cover your shift: If you can't make a shift, you can transfer it to someone in your network. That way, you won't have to worry about a cancellation penalty.
- Coordinate rides: Need a lift to your shift? If a Pro in your network is working the same shift as you, you can easily reach out to them on Instawork.
7. Use Instawork as a launching pad
Some people love working in hospitality or warehousing and want to do it their entire career. Others don’t — and that’s totally fine! Many people support themselves with shift work while they pursue long-term goals.
Just look at Instawork Pro Dillon G., a former banker turned musician. In between music gigs, he picks up Instawork shifts with caterers and event planners to help pay the bills. This way, he can follow his dreams while still earning a living.
"If I take a permanent position somewhere, it may limit me with what I can and cannot do. But with Instawork, I pick my days and I pick my shifts. There’s a lot of flexibility with scheduling."
- Instawork Pro Dillon G.
Whether you want to be a musician like Dillon or go back to school, using Instawork as a side hustle can help you make ends meet while making your dreams happen.
Ready to take the next step to advance your career?
As you can see, there are many different ways to use Instawork to make more money and set yourself up for success — no matter what your career goals are. All you need to do is sign up, build your profile, and get started!
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