4 effective ways to triple your salary in four years

4 effective ways to triple your salary in four years 4 effective ways to triple your salary in four years Experts say that visualizing your success can reap many benefits, including actually achieving your  goals  and dreams. I bet you filled your 2017 vision board with goals you are hoping to keep - and maybe even  surpass.  Call this a long shot, but I’m guessing “make more  money”  might  be on that list, whether you’re working towards a promotion, starting a new  side hustle, seeking a better job or even just blindly hoping to figure out the details along the way.So what can you do to help add to your bottom line? Ask yourself  - right now, are  you earning what you’re worth or what you want to be earning? Remember, even if making more money  wasn’t  on your list, a bump in  salary  can only help you accomplish your other goals and resolutions.Here are the steps I took that have resulted in me tripling my salary over the past four years:I switched jobs.According to  Fast Company, you should be changing jobs at least every three years because “workers who stay with a c ompany longer than two years are said to get paid 50% less.”Can you afford to get paid 50% less than what you should be earning? As a woman already fighting for my right to  equal pay, I sure can’t.Millennials aren’t satisfied with spending years in a job that doesn’t help to build skills, advance our careers or help us to earn a higher salary (or at least, one we deserve and could be earning elsewhere).  I don’t suggest throwing caution to the wind and jumping ship every few months, but plan carefully and make good long-term career decisions. After all, this is your future and your livelihood. The negative stigma previously associated with job-hopping is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and those who switch jobs responsibly are actually likely to be labeled as more successful than those that don’t.I leveraged my network.It’s no secret that many people  -  including myself  - dread  networking  events. Between my full-time job, side hustle, being a single mom a nd various classes I take to continue learning, I already have plenty going on (never mind trying to keep the semblance of a social life sprinkled in there). Sometimes, a girl just wants to Netflix and chill to catch up on her latest guilty pleasure. Well, Netflix can (and will) wait. Do you feel comfortable saying that about your career?Yeah, didn’t think so.According to Lou Adler, CEO, best-selling author and  LinkedIn  Influencer,  roughly 85% of all jobs are filled via networking. Many open positions are never even posted or promoted, making it that much more difficult to land that coveted spot at your dream company.Each time I switched jobs, I was fortunate to have been approached either by former colleagues or contacts I made from networking  -  all when I was not actively looking or even thinking about taking on a new role.The ROI from networking can help land you your dream job - isn’t that worth your time and effort?I switched industries.  Not to be Captain Obvious, b ut different industries  -  just like different companies and job titles  -  have different pay scales. As my moves were unplanned, I cannot claim carefully calculated decisions to switch industries, but the industries I switched into tended to have a higher salary for the position(s) I landed.If you want to maximize your paycheck, check out the fastest-growing jobs and industries for 2017  here.I did my research  and utilized my negotiation skills.  Each career move for me resulted in a sizable bump up in pay (and responsibilities, make no mistake). I had to showcase my knowledge and experience, proving to my would-be employer that adding me to their team solved their business pain. I did my research on the  company and the position,  then prepared to discuss salary upon receiving an offer.Glassdoor’s  Know Your Worth tool  helped show up prepared. I researched salary, benefits and industry standards to know where I stacked up  -  and where I had room to negotiate.After you de termine your market value,  be sure to brush up on your negotiation skills/tactics  to maximize how much this can work to your benefit.The most important pieces of advice I can offer to successfully  negotiate  the salary you deserve?Try to avoid directly answering the question “what are you earning now/at your previous job?” Instead, redirect with “In my job search, I am currently seeking a salary in the range of $90-100k.”What you are currently earning or were earning two years ago is of no consequence to what you should/could be earning for a job for which you are qualified  -  and that they want to hire you for! This is simply part of the negotiating process that you must carefully navigate to achieve the desired results.You cannot place a limit on your value, and you should not allow a recruiter or hiring manager to do so for you.Now get to work, ladies, because it’s time for the kickass #girlboss within you to go out and get  exactly  what you’re worth.A version o f this article originally appeared on  CareerContessa.com  and Fairygodboss.- At Fairygodboss, our mission is to help you create the best career for your life. We’ve helped over a million women do this by crowdsourcing hard-to-ask information about job flexibility, salaries, work-life balance, maternity leave policies and whether women are promoted fairly in their companies and departments. Come see our free job reviews and career advice!