8 Stories of People Who Doubled Their Income

He Switched Career Paths From a Routine Worker to a Job That Required More Specialized Skills

Drew DuBoff was working at his campus dining hall part-time while going to college full time and was making about $200 a week.

“My former job was holding back my earning potential because I was doing a job that never would have provided a large salary, no matter how long I worked there or how many hours I worked during a week,” he said. “I was receiving $10.85 an hour — that’s after four years of working there. I was at the top of the pay scale, but it still wasn’t enough.”

DuBoff now works as a freelance writer, business owner and part-time virtual assistant.

“By changing paths, I was enabled to work for people who genuinely valued what I contributed,” he said. “Instead of being hired as a routine worker that performed a task anyone could be trained to do, I transitioned into being a knowledge worker that performed a task with specialized knowledge and a strategic disposition. You should add something unique so that others can’t do exactly what you offer. That’s what keeps you employed and companies paying you more than you would have ever dreamed.”

Why This Worked

Switching to a skilled job, like a virtual assistant, from a routine job, like a food service worker, has enabled DuBoff to charge more for his work.

“Now, I’m making a minimum of $4,000 a month — that’s after just a little over one year of being a virtual assistant,” he said. “I’m only working around 10 hours per week on client work, or 40 hours per month. That puts my hourly rate at roughly $100 per hour. From a monthly perspective, that’s a 500% increase, and from an hourly perspective, that’s a 920% increase.”