Think about writing articles for example.  There are quite a few websites that offer payment for submission of articles, as long as they meet website standards.  Places like Bukisa, and eHow are great places to publish a few articles, and depending upon popularity, rack up a decent paycheck.  Plus these articles stay up for a very long time, and you are paid a percentage of the page’s earnings.  So these turn into decent passive income makers, which you can use to make money without you having to put in extra work hours.

More ways to earn quick cash is to take advantage of work from home opportunities.  They don’t always pay a lot starting out, but the work is usually pretty easy.  Take for example, companies like to hire telecommuters for online Customer Service Representative positions.  All you have to do is take the initiative to find the work.  Search online CSR jobs, but stick to the more major companies, to make sure you don’t get scammed, or have your personal information stolen.

Finally, try writing blog posts for money.  There are a wealth of opportunities for finding blog work, where you could be paid as much as $5 for every blog post you submit.  Sites like Blogitive, Today.com, and work resources like Elance and oDesk also have great paid blog offers.  Blogging is easy, and who wouldn’t welcome the extra cash?

Make sure your resume is properly up to date.  The last thing anybody wants to see is an old resume that you’ve been using for a few years.  That shows no initiative, a lack of effort, and will reflect poorly on your work ethic.  You definitely don’t want a potential boss counting strikes against you before you even have a chance to interview.

Keep your resume professional.  While I always stress making your resume unique and tailored to each job that you apply for, don’t step out of the professional mold.  Keep your font generic and readable, and stick to the standard resume format.  Just tailor the information to each job that you apply for.  That’s the best way to make a great impression.

Don’t send your resume without a cover letter.  The cover letter is the standard starting point of any application, and a resume sent without one is incomplete.  The resume only serves as a list of professional accomplishments and goals, the cover letter is where you put these into perspective with your personality.  The cover letter sells you, and shows that you are the best employee for the job.  Take advantage of the opportunity.

Finally, make your objective statement absolutely clear.  You have to have a clear cut idea of what you intend to give, and get from the job you are applying to get.  This is extremely important to a potential employer, so you want the statement to be as clear and understandable as possible.  You wouldn’t want someone tripping over the first, and most vital part of your resume.

Every application needs a cover letter, and a cover letter is your chance to shine.  So take advantage of that opportunity and be original.  The last thing you want in a cover letter is to sound mundane, or like the cover letter is the same form that you’ve sent to every other company you’ve applied.  Personalize and let your personality show.  That’s what a cover letter is for.  Sell yourself, and let your originality shine, and that will make your cover letter stand out from the rest.  Just remember to remain professional and courteous.

Being persistent means letting the company know who you are.  After you’ve turned in an application make sure to follow up.  That means waiting a few days, and then visiting the company again to check on the status of your application.  This shows initiative and a genuine desire to work.  That gives you an edge as most people think the process is done after submitting an application.

Finally, remember once you have that interview, the job is far from done.  Be confident, and do your research.  You need to know what you’re talking about here, because a bad interview will always lose you the job opportunity.  Stay positive, and confident, and know your facts concerning the company.  Use those facts to work for you, and to outline your desire to work there.  Performing that to great effect will make you a top candidate for the job, and will best increase your chances for landing the position as quickly as possible.

Look around you for starters.  Try to find helpful books at your local bookstore.  Even look to the colleges in the area and see if anybody teaches a course related to your field.  Anything that helps you become a better seller is a plus.  This career is dependant upon your ability, so it only makes sense that you would strive to have all the education that you can muster.

Of course a path such as college or career coaching will require an investment of money and time on your part, but having the info is much better than the alternative.  An education is never a bad thing.  The accolades might not guarantee a good job, but the knowledge will.  You’ll still have to work hard at what you do, but you’ll know where to put your efforts.  That information is invaluable.

Finally, try to find an entry level job that affords you the chance to work with a real industry professional.  Whether the job doesn’t pay well, or even just an unpaid internship, take advantage of either.  As long as there’s room for advancement, or a good training manager, either will be beneficial.  Remember, it’s okay to give a job a shot, if you aren’t offered the salary you want.  Take advantage of the quick experience, the knowledge you can gain, and the opportunity for advancement.  As long as you work hard to sell, you are guaranteed to be successful.

First off, and I can’t stress this enough, dress the part.  If you’re interning at a big time corporation, and you see the rest of the interns dressed anything but professionally, do not follow their example.  Buttoned shirt and tie should be a no brainer for every day that you are there to intern.  This way your appearance meets your attitude, creating a good impression that you are there to work and to learn.  That’s what companies want.

Get to work before the boss.  That way you can show that you are committed to the tasks at hand, as well as learning everything you can.  A boss will put more into your internship if you show the initiative to take advantage of everything they have on offer.

Know the easy stuff, like making coffee, working a copier and fax, the simple office tasks in and out.  There’s a certain amount of grunt work that interns are meant to do, and all of these fall into those categories.  The faster you can work through them, the faster you can get down to the real aspects of your job.

Finally, do the best you can.  Internships are really you volunteering your time, but don’t think that just because you aren’t being paid you shouldn’t work hard.  Being a hard worker with a good attitude and willingness to get the job done will put you into the memory of your coworkers and boss.  That can be invaluable when you’re looking to get a job somewhere down the line.  Not to mention top performers in internship positions can even be offered full time positions from the companies they are interning with.  Work hard and you just may get yourself a job.

Keep yourself motivated, and keep on top of your assignments.  Finish your projects as quickly as possible without compromising the quality of the work you’re putting out.  A fast turnaround time, especially faster than the boss expects, is a great way for the higher ups to start noticing your name on these projects.  Being faster than your coworkers to turn in a project, and especially if you can keep up the same quality your boss would expect, ensures your boss will start remembering your name before anyone else‘s.

Take advantage of opportunities to do work that you may not even be required to complete.  If your boss offers something that isn’t necessarily in your job description/department, do it anyway, and give it your best.  This shows initiative, and commitment to the company, both of which make you a standout performer the next time your boss is considering who may need to be leaving the team because of cutbacks.  The last thing your boss will ever want to hear is “that’s not in my job description”, remember that, because that response will make you look terrible.

Finally, lead as much as possible without stepping on your bosses toes.  Become a standout performer by taking initiative and helping your coworkers as much as possible.  The more that you help others around you, the more your skills will be noticed, and the better they will appear.