University or college can get really expensive even if there are many scholarship programs and Pay Now, Study Later offers. It’s understandable why college students would want to get a job while in college or during their semester breaks. This summer, like any other summers of the year, many college students flocked to apply for hundreds of jobs across the country.
The competition is tough so if you are a college student who’s cramming to find a summer job, it might be extra difficult to secure one. Companies aren’t exactly looking for temporary employees who are only available during the summer season because that means they would have to do a hiring season again in search for the perfect applicant (mind you, finding the right person for the job is no easy undertaking!). They opt for college graduates or even dropouts who can stay with their business for a long time. Summer break may just account for the training period and once that’s over, students would return to school and abandon the business that trained them for the job that they were supposed to do.
But even with the challenges of job hunting for college students, this doesn’t mean that they should not go for it anymore. There are many industries that are very open to employing college students during their summer breaks. These students can sell their youth and their know-how on trends and technology to these companies and businesses looking to grow their profit. If there is no job available, you can create an opportunity for yourself by starting your own business or offering freelance services. The good thing about today’s society is that there are so many money-making ventures that it’s unlikely for college students to run out of options.
Below is a list of how college students can earn money during their summer break.
1. Browsing the World Wide Web
Yes, if you’re just looking for extra bucks to fund your summer activities, you can get money by browsing through the Internet. It doesn’t mean though that you will just be scrolling mindlessly and you’re going to earn already. It’s still a business so what you’ll need to do is answer surveys, add views to a video, or use a search engine among many other browsing tasks. According to The College Investor, you may go to sites such as Swagbucks that allow you to earn points by finishing various tasks on the Internet. You can start cashing out your points once you reach $500.
Wonder why you can get paid by answering surveys? They need to know your opinion on a certain topic which is part of their research and development for their business and their products.
There are also many sites to search for random job postings that are for skilled workers. For instance, you can design publication materials for a brand or write copies for their social media posts. You can also do a market pitch for their ads or the actual campaign videos.
2. Declutter and hold a garage sale.
More and more people are looking for vintage items and cool objects that they can score for an affordable price. Your home is most likely filled with these treasures; all you have to do is declutter and sell those that haven't been serving any purpose for you and your housemates for more than a year. You can join online marketplaces where you can post your items for sale. You can also have your own site or own Facebook/Instagram page where you can sell these used items. Of course, you can also still simultaneously host an actual garage sale in your backyard. Make sure to post days in advance that you will be having a garage sale in your address. Arrange all your sale items with respect to health protocols so that everyone’s safety is ensured when they shop at your garage sale. Again, you can also offer snacks and lemonade for sale, which will be an additional income for you.
Not only will you be able to make extra bucks, you will also be able to declutter and clean your house.
3. Transcribe audio files.
Go to different transcription sites where you can get audio files for transcribing. They pay you based on the length of the audio file that you transcribed and how long it took for you to finish transcribing. In other words, if you are more efficient and able to finish transcription much faster than others, you would earn more from this job. If efficiency is what you need to work on, don’t hesitate to invest in ergonomic furniture that will help boost productivity, improve efficiency and sharpen focus.
4. You can teach English to students around the world.
Many people from different countries are looking for native English speakers to learn English. And guess what? You are one! So since you can speak the language fluently, look for these students in Facebook marketplaces, forums, clubs etc that you can offer your English proficiency to them. You can also apply to different English-tutoring sites as a teacher. Be the best teacher by preparing a syllabus for students to follow. They can also practice their English by answering the exercise you’ve especially done for each of them. From the start, ask what their goal is so that you can align your teaching based on what they need from you.
5. Buy and sell products.
A lot of people have made a fortune out of buying products for less than selling them for a much higher price point. Research what people are buying online and then look for these products in cheap markets. For instance, you can go to the best flea markets and look for great vintage finds you can sell for less. It’s a major jackpot if you get to buy a collector item that people would go gaga for. You can also start your own brand and then set the go signal to sell.
6. Deliver food, drive an Uber or Lyft, walk dogs or babysit.
These are typical college student jobs that you can do anytime. You can make extra bucks in your free time by walking dogs or babysitting every now and then. If you have a bike or a car, you may sign up under Uber or Lyft to drive around people or deliver food and groceries to their place of residence. You even get to workout using your bike. And plus, you can have new friends and meet new people while doing these jobs.
