Know your number: how much extra money do you need?

A clear number turns “I need more money” into a goal you can plan for. It also tells you whether a few hours a week of side work is enough, or whether you need a full-time job.

1. Open our free debt payoff calculator and enter your debts.
2. Write down how much extra you would need to pay each month to be debt-free by the date you want. This is your Income Gap.
3. Divide your Income Gap by an hourly wage to see the hours you would need. Example: if you need $400 a month and a job pays $16 an hour, that is 25 hours a month before taxes, or about 6 hours a week.

• My Income Gap is: $______ per month
• Hours I can realistically work each week: ______
• Days and times I am free (for example, weekday evenings, weekends): ______
• Things that limit me (childcare, no car, health, shared computer): ______

Pick one path that fits what you already know

You do not need to know your dream career. Start from things you already do well, then read about one or two matching jobs. The table shows entry-level paths and official pay data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Pay is a national median: half of workers earn more and half earn less, and your pay may differ.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay data for May 2025. Several of these jobs are projected to shrink slightly from 2025 to 2035, but BLS still expects hundreds of thousands of openings each year as workers retire or change jobs (for example, about 289,500 a year for customer service representatives).

• The path I will try first: ______
• I read the BLS page for it (What They Do, How to Become One)
• A backup path: ______

Get free help before you spend a dollar

You do not have to do this alone. These services are free, and some can pay for training if you qualify.

American Job Centers (free, run with the U.S. Department of Labor)

1. Go to the American Job Center finder on CareerOneStop.
2. Type your ZIP code and choose the closest center. Note the phone number and hours.
3. Call or walk in. You can use the script below.

Staff can help with resumes, practice interviews, job leads, and checking whether you qualify for training funded through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

Free online lessons if computers feel hard

• Computer Basics, Internet Basics and Gmail (free, self-paced, at LearnFree)
• Microsoft Office tutorials (Word and Excel show up in many office job ads)
• Your local public library: free computers, internet, printing help, and often free classes

Cheaper phone or internet service

If your income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines, or you get benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid or SSI, the federal Lifeline program can take up to $9.25 a month off qualifying phone or internet service. Apply at lifelinesupport.org or call 1-800-234-9473.

• I found my nearest American Job Center: ______
• I called or booked a visit on: ______
• I started one free lesson (if I needed it)

Set up the basics: email, voicemail, documents, tracker

4a. A professional email address (10 minutes)

1. Go to accounts.google.com/signup (free).
2. Enter your real first and last name.
3. For the username, use a simple version of your name, such as firstname.lastname or firstname.lastname84. Avoid nicknames or jokes.
4. Add a recovery phone number so you can get back in if you forget the password.
5. Write the password somewhere safe. Use this email only for jobs so offers do not get lost.

4b. A voicemail greeting (2 minutes)

4c. A documents folder (20 minutes)

Make one folder (paper or on your computer) with:

• Your resume (you will write it in Step 6)
• Your Social Security number and ID. On your first day, employers must verify that you can work in the U.S. using Form I-9 documents: for example a U.S. passport, or a driver’s license plus a Social Security card or birth certificate.
• A list of 2–3 references: name, how you know them, phone and email. Ask them first. A former supervisor, teacher, volunteer leader or customer you worked for all count.

4d. A simple job tracker (10 minutes)

Make a table in a notebook, Google Sheets or Excel with these columns:

• I have a job-search email address
• My voicemail greeting is set up
• My documents folder is ready
• My job tracker is ready

Make proof that you can do the work

When you have no experience in a field, a few small work samples show an employer what you can do. Keep them simple and honest. Never claim a sample was paid work if it was not.

• I made sample #1
• I made sample #2
• I saved them in one folder (or one Google Drive link) I can share

Write a one-page resume (fill in the blanks)

Copy this template into Google Docs or Word and replace the blanks. One page is enough for entry-level jobs. For more help, see the free CareerOneStop Resume Guide or the LearnFree resume lessons.

Turn what you have done into job skills

Fill in your LinkedIn profile (optional, free, 30 minutes)

1. Sign up at linkedin.com/signup with your job-search email.
2. Photo: a clear photo of your face against a plain background.
3. Headline: the job you want plus 2 strengths, for example “Customer Support · Bilingual English/Spanish · Calm problem-solver”.
4. About: 3 sentences: who you are, what you are good at, what work you are looking for.
5. Experience and Education: copy them from your resume so they match exactly.
6. Open to work: you can choose to show this to recruiters only.

• My resume fits on one page and has no typos (read it out loud once)
• I saved it as a PDF named FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf
• (Optional) My LinkedIn profile matches my resume

Apply safely: where to look and how to fill out applications

Three to five applications that fit you well beat fifty rushed ones. Read each job ad, then change the summary and skills lines of your resume to use the same words the ad uses.

Where to look

Some job sites charge job seekers a membership fee. Paying is never required to find legitimate work, and free options exist for every path above.

How to fill out an online application, field by field

• I applied to 3–5 jobs today and logged them in my tracker
• I checked each company for scam warning signs
• I set a follow-up date one week after each application

Prepare for interviews

Most entry-level hiring starts with a short phone call, then a video or in-person interview. Practice out loud, even alone. For more, see the free LearnFree interviewing lessons; your American Job Center can also run a practice interview with you.

Before a video interview

• Test the link, camera and microphone 15 minutes early
• Sit facing a window or lamp, with a plain background
• Silence your phone and keep your resume and a pen nearby

Six common questions and how to start your answer

Thank-you email (send the same day)

Your first paycheck: tax forms, and putting the money to work

Sources: IRS, Self-Employment Tax; IRS, Gig Economy Tax Center. General information, not tax advice.

Make the new income pay off your debt

1. Keep paying the minimum on every debt.
2. Put your extra income on one target debt, usually the highest APR. Our payoff calculator shows how much sooner you can be debt-free.
3. If you are behind, read which bills to pay first and how to negotiate credit card debt.
4. Once things are stable, start a small emergency fund with our emergency fund calculator.