Is it permissible for me to shave my beard or pay a bribe to get a better job, knowing that I need money for marriage and living expenses?

Shaving the beard is forbidden except in cases of dire necessity. As for offering a bribe (gratuity) to secure a permissible job, there is no sin in it if it cannot be obtained otherwise, and the sin falls upon the taker. It is stipulated that no one else should have a greater right to this job than you.