Get Paid To Learn (and Build Real Skills at Any Job)

Did you know that you can get paid to learn profitable skills?

There are certain jobs and even side hustles you can use to hone your skills—the ones you need to earn more and live your dream lifestyle.

Let’s take a look at some of the jobs, side hustles, and business opportunities where you can get paid to learn profitable skills.

 

Freelance Writer

I put this one first because learning this profitable skill helped me make nearly $2,000,000 online.

I started writing almost a decade ago. A friend asked me to write articles for his website after he noticed how much I liked to post content on social media. At first, I wrote articles for free and for fun, but then I discovered I could make money doing it.

My first income stream was freelance writing.

Companies need writers for all different types of writing:

• Blog posts
• Pages on their websites
• Social media content
• Ads
• Email newsletters

A lot of business owners don’t have the time or don’t want to put the effort into doing the writing themselves, so they hire writers to do it for them.

 

I got my first freelancing gig from my employer

As the project manager of a digital marketing agency, I noticed they hired freelancers to fulfill the writing work they did for clients. I asked them to become a writer and they said yes.

Writing for all different types of companies—landscaping, cleaning businesses, and fire damage restoration—I got paid to learn how these businesses worked. This helped when it came to growing my own business.

I learned how to write persuasive words that helped promote their products and services. This is called copywriting. And it’s one of the most potent and profitable skills you can use if you want to make money online.

I mainly wrote blog posts. Blog writing is a skill I used to:

• Make half a million dollars writing articles on Medium
• Generate traffic for my products and services
• Get better and higher-paying freelance jobs

Writing is a powerful and profitable skill because the written word is everywhere. If you’re good at mastering language, you will never have to worry about money.

 

Sales

Every successful business owner has one thing in common: They are good at sales. Many people scoff at sales and think it’s sleazy when, in reality, life is selling. Sales isn’t only a useful skill but a necessary one to make the world a better place.

When you’re selling something, you’re simply communicating the value and benefits of what you offer in a way people understand. True belief in your product or service means that you’re helping someone make a decision that benefits their lives.

Think about it: Why do you buy things?

Because you were guilted into it or because you thought whatever you bought would benefit your life somehow?

Good salespeople don’t try to convince people to buy. They first understand their customers’ needs, problems, and desired outcomes. And then they present their product or service as the solution.

Working in sales teaches you empathy. When you understand the needs of other people, you can use that power for good, helping to improve your customers’ lives with what you provide. This is why you should look for a company that sells something you believe in, shares your values, and has a product that helps people.

Sales allow you to make more money than a typical employee, too, because your income isn’t tied to your time or hourly rate. It’s tied to your ability to sell. When you work in sales, you get paid on commission. So if you make more sales, you make more money. There’s no ceiling to how much you can make.

 

I sold Cutco knives for Vector when I was in high school

And now I write articles for them (like this one).

I made more money selling one knife set than I would have made in a MONTH at another part-time job. I have a good friend who still sells Cutco to this day. Is it for everyone? Nope. But plenty of former reps credit their professional success to the skills they gained at Vector.

Learning sales is beneficial no matter if your goal is a good career, a profitable business, or a better social network—because everything is sales. We are all selling ourselves constantly, whether it’s for a promotion, a date, or a business transaction. Your ability to communicate the benefits of what you do affects every area of your life.

 

Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant works inside a business to help the founder of the company with tasks that need to be delegated.

I have a virtual assistant to help me with my online business that sells courses and coaching (helping people learn how to make money writing online). I did it solo for years, but after a while, there were too many tasks to do on my own, so I got some help.

She helps me with all sorts of things—managing my email inbox, communicating with students, setting up email campaigns, organizing the structure of my community, and setting up technical automation.

 

Now my virtual assistant could start her own business

I know because she told me so. She gets to see the inner workings of my business. I don’t just give her tasks; I tell her what I’m working on, why I’m working on it, and the strategies I’m using. Growing her understanding of my business helps her manage it effectively. 

Working inside of a business teaches you about business. Maybe you want to break into a certain field or industry. What better way to learn the ins and outs than by working in that field or industry?

You’ll also develop a bunch of skills that are vital to running a business like:

• Time management
• Client communication
• Tech and automation
• Organization and priorities
• Leadership

One of the smartest moves you can make in life is to learn under successful people. Becoming a virtual assistant is one of the best ways to do it.

 

Entrepreneur

As long as you make some amount of money, running a business means you get paid to learn a profitable skill.

All the paths I mentioned so far have you working with, for, or adjacent to businesses. But nothing will teach you how to run a business better than actually doing it yourself.

I’ve had to learn a ton of different profitable skills to build my business:

• Content writing
• Copywriting
• Email marketing
• Technical skills like using software
• Sales
• Management
• Pricing
• Advertising
• Leadership
• Client acquisition and lead generation
• Client management
• Personal Finance
• Tax law

And then there are all of the intangible skills that become profitable skills because, to grow a profitable business, you have to grow as a human being.

I’ve had to learn how to tolerate stress, be adaptable, and manage my time, energy, and emotions. I had to learn how to overcome obstacles, bounce back from failure, delay gratification, and execute long-range plans.

Skills like leading and managing groups of students, contractors, and staff became invaluable. I learned how to carefully navigate relationships, both personally and professionally. The business works on you just as much as you work on it.

 

My previous roles helped me get here

Working at a marketing agency taught me the needs of business owners. I learned their pain points and desired outcomes, which helps me when I run the business-to-business side of my business. I got a crash course in marketing and sales. I even got promoted to marketing director and led marketing for the entire company. They planned to offer me a partnership and equity, but I was close to making it big as a full-time writer so I opted out. Either way, that job played a huge role in where I’m at today.

Working as a manager at a video store taught me how to deal with customers. I managed a team of employees. I was responsible for hiring people. I had sales quotas to hit for the store. I tracked all of the business metrics. It was as if I owned the store because I was responsible for all of it.

I’ve told the story many times, but getting that job was pivotal for me because it was the first time I ever had any real responsibility. I prioritized personal development to get better at my job, which led to posting about it online, which led to my friend asking me to write for his website, which led to the career and business I have today.

And I’m bringing all of this up because I have one final point:

 

You get paid to learn at *every* job, side hustle, and business

Most people don’t see it.

They write off time spent working as “just work.” But if you take the right attitude and approach, you can get paid to learn no matter what you’re doing.

I remember reading this book called “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardone, who owns a billion-dollar real estate company and personal brand.

He had a job at McDonald’s as a teenager. Like most teenagers, he wrote it off as “just a job.” But he had a co-worker who took the job seriously.

Cardone asked his coworker why and he said:

I plan to own a McDonald’s one day.

His coworder wanted to learn how the business worked from the ground up and he did—going from fry cook to manager. Then he was promoted to regional manager and worked his way up through the company. Bought his own franchise. Then another. Then dozens. He became a multi-millionaire because he understood this truth:

 

Every job is an opportunity to build skills and grow

Far too many people look at work as a burden instead of a blessing. They don’t give it their best because they view it as only a stepping-stone job. In reality, doing your best at any job, business, or side hustle is a stepping stone to a better life—as long as you treat it like one.

Most people think they’re just going to “turn it on” once they get their dream job. But that’s not how it works. Yes, seek new opportunities, but get good at whatever you’re doing and extract as many skills as you can carry into the next adventure of your life.

For more on building key skills, check out these posts:

If you want to take your skills, lifestyle, and income to the next level, focus on getting paid to learn whatever you’re doing right now, and then build a bridge to a better vehicle. It’s time to get to work.

Get paid to learn at Vector and gain valuable skills for any career.