credit

What factors affect your ability to earn a good crust? At first glance, this is a relatively easy question to answer – the better job you have, the more money you will make, right? But it’s not quite that simple. No matter how old you are, there is always an opportunity to do better in the pay stakes – and today we’re going to take a look at some of the things you might consider doing to ensure you get what you are worth. Let’s take a closer look.

Drive

Education is vital to your salary level, of course – as is experience. The more knowledge and experience you have, the more you will earn, although this is only true up to a certain point. It’s drive that can actually have a more significant impact. For example, you might be deemed overqualified for a particular role, or there could be questions about your drive to improve your position if you have been in the same role for ten years ago, for example. To hit the sweet spot, always look at the person at a higher level than you, and focus on learning to do what they do. Combined with your experience, this kind of drive will often see you incrementally improve your earnings.

credit

Math

How well did you do at math in school? If you didn’t excel, the chances are that you will earn a lot less over your lifetime that an A-grade student. There is actually a strong correlation between high achievement in math and a high wage later on in life.

Language

Learning how to speak another language is also a good way of boosting your income. On average, you can expect to earn somewhere between 2 and 4 percent more when you are bilingual than someone who is not. It gives you options, too. Try using the best Portuguese learning software or taking a college course in Spanish, and you could work almost everywhere in South America, large parts of Europe, and even parts of Africa. Learn Russian and find a Mandarin tutor and you could open up the entire Eastern world to do your business. Learn all four languages, and the world is pretty much yours – with the salary to go with it.

credit

Sports

Believe it or not, those who play sports on a regular basis often do better in business. There are a few good reasons why. First of all, it keeps you fit and healthy, both physically and mentally. It teaches you about teamwork, too, as well as pushing yourself to your limits. Ultimately, though, sport can give you a real competitive edge, that will come in useful for getting the best jobs, but also in negotiating a pay rise.

Humor

Finally, if you are naturally funny, it can result in a bigger pay packet. How? It’s simple, really. A good joke can often be the quickest way of developing a relationship, and we all know that business is all about relationships. Jokers tend to smile more, too, which helps boost dopamine production that results in efficiency, creativity, and engagement – all of which are highly sought after qualities.

As you can see, there are some surprising factors behind the highest paid people on the planet – can you think of any more?