Here are the Best Jobs for College Students. Read the article to learn more.
Introduction
The moment you turn 18 years old, people around you start expecting a lot from you. Your parents want you to move out and live by yourself, start earning by yourself and be independent and manage your stuff. Every teen loves an independent life but it has its cons too. Now when you have decided to live alone you need to earn enough to feed yourself daily, pay for your house bills, tuition fee, and your daily essentials. All this can be possible only after you find a nice job that isn’t quite stressful for a teenager and pays well.
The number of college-going students in the United States alone was 19.6 million for the year 2019. There are a lot of jobs a teenager can do but these jobs need to be teenage-friendly as well. Thus we here have curated a list of some of the best jobs for a college student.
Before diving into the list let’s understand the pros and cons of working as a college student.
Pros of Working
There are a lot of students in the US who are getting used to the work and study routine. It’s a habit everyone should work on. It can be quite hard to manage study and work at the same time but working while in college has its own set of advantages.
- Work Experience – Working in any firm, the store will bring you experience that schooling, studying cannot develop. Experience is something an employer would ask for whenever you apply for your dream job.
- Make Money- Working for someone helps you make money which is enough to sustain yourself. You don’t need to depend on someone else. This money can be saved to do something later or can be used to pay for your tuition, needs, etc.
- Time Management- Working and studying at the same time forces you to learn the art of time management. It’s quite crucial to learn such skills. It even teaches you how valuable time is and how to use it wisely.
Cons of Working
With all the good stuff, working in college can have its disadvantages.
- Less time to study- When you are working and studying at the same time, you get less time to study in a day. After work, you might feel tired and find it hard to concentrate on your studies. You might even feel pressured and feel you are lacking all the good stuff your friends are doing, while you are working and studying.
- Less socialization- Due to work and study load you might find it hard to maintain close relations with the people you love. Your social life might become zero and dull.
- Stress- Stress is a part of life but if it reaches an extreme level then it’s quite dangerous and hard to overcome. As a teenager working and studying at the same time will bring you a lot of stress. While working you might feel you are missing out on studying and college life, parties, etc, and while studying you may feel as if you are missing out on working, earning, etc. You would get stuck in a circle of chaos.
Legal age of working
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the legal working age in the United States is 14 years. Any child 14 years or above has full rights to work for an organization; firm, which doesn’t affect the child’s health and studies.
Best Jobs for College Students
Now let’s dive into some of the best jobs a college student can do to manage work and study at the same time and be independent. The jobs on the list are quite teenage friendly, flexible, and don’t require a lot of qualifications
The list of jobs for college students are
Nanny
This job is quite popular among college students especially girls because it’s quite flexible. The job requires you to take care of small children and look after their needs. This job is flexible because you can always negotiate with the parents about your availability.
Your basic responsibilities as a nanny include helping the child with homework, playing with the child, preparing wholesome meals for them, engaging them in creative activities, preparing them for a nap, taking them out, hanging out with them, picking and dropping them to school, etc. Your responsibilities can change according to the age of the child.
A nanny is paid according to the work hours and the number of kids you sit. On average you get paid $ 25 to $ 30 per hour for a single child. This pay can increase if you look after two children.
Call Centre Representative
This job is also flexible and can be done by everyone. There are some basic skills you need to have to bring out the best results for your company. You need to have good communication skills, be bilingual, have marketing skills, interpersonal skills, etc. All of these skills matter because here you need to deal with real-life people who are social beings.
Your basic responsibilities as a call center representative include making sales pitches, attending customers on call, keeping them hooked to the company by selling them the latest products or giving them special offers, reading from a pre-written sales pitch, solving customer grievances, taking donations, etc.
This job is flexible for students because you are needed either during the evening times or during the weekends when most people are relaxing and are at home. So this schedule is suitable for a college-going student.
On average a call center representative is paid $ 13 per hour. This pay can change based on your experience and working years.
Virtual Assistant
It’s a new job specially created by the new generation to fulfill business needs. Business owners often require assistants. They are responsible for the smooth functioning of the business activities. Certain skills you need to possess to become a successful virtual assistant are good communication skills, listening skills, administrative skills, time management, managerial skills, computer skills, etc.
Basic responsibilities of a virtual assistant include scheduling meetings for their client, managing emails of the client, booking all travel tickets and hotel rooms for their client, answering phone calls, looking after the company’s database, and managing all social media handles of the client like business website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
This job doesn’t require you to visit any office or meet the client in real life. All you need is a phone or a laptop to carry out your daily activities. This job is suitable for a college-going student because it’s quite flexible.
On average, a virtual assistant is paid $ 15 per hour. The payment is quite better than other jobs that drain your energy.
Warehouse Associates
This job is a perfect fit for any college student because it’s flexible and pays well. The basic qualifications required to become a warehouse associate are a high school degree or diploma and some experience in warehouse jobs. The skills required to excel at this job include management, forklift experience, strong muscles build, good arms and core strength, organization, etc.
Basic responsibilities of a warehouse associate include taking bulk deliveries from sellers, storing them in the warehouse, looking for any defects and damages in the product, returning damaged products, packaging the products properly, shipping to their respective addresses, etc.
The working hours of a warehouse associate are flexible because they are most demanded during night shifts and holidays. Thus college students can easily manage the job without missing college.
On average, a warehouse associate is paid $ 18 per hour. This rate can range with experience and position.
Pet walker/ Dog Sitter
This job is suitable for college students who love animals, dogs. The job is very flexible and also pays well. You don’t need any qualification to become a dog sitter/ pet walker but certain basic skills that are quite important include communication skills, nurturing skills, trust, reliability, building connections, etc.
Basic responsibilities of a dog sitter/ pet walker include taking the dog for a walk, cleaning their wastes like vomits; feces, etc, giving them meals according to their timing, playing with them, teaching them various tricks, taking them to the vet, taking care of them during emergencies, etc.
The salary of a pet walker is quite less than a dog walker. If you do both jobs together then you can make more money. Night shifts and weekend shifts can pay you even higher.
On average, a pet walker is paid $ 15 per hour while that of a dog sitter is $ 30 per night. Extra money is paid for dog walking, taking to daycare, and if there are multiple pets which are approximately $ 15 per hour or session.
Food Service Worker
These jobs are quite famous among college students and most of them prefer doing it. Even though the job may sound overused it still is one of the best jobs a college student can do. The job is flexible and also helps you make extra cash in the form of tips and save cash by employee discounts on food, beverages.
You need a high school diploma to become a food service worker. Other than that you also need certain skills like communication skills, listening skills, good grasping power, the ability to work for long hours, have patience, understand customers, etc.
Basic responsibilities of a food service worker include cleaning the kitchen, preparing food and drinks, taking orders, attending to customer requests, cleaning tables, bartending, mopping floors, etc.
On average, a food service worker is paid $ 12 per hour. This salary is an entry-level beginner salary and can increase based on your experiences and working years.
Sales Associate
A sales associate is responsible for making sales in the store. They are often employed by retail stores that need workers to make a sale. Their job hours are flexible. This job doesn’t require any qualifications but if you do have some experience then you have a higher chance of getting selected.
Certain other skills that you require are good communication skills, in-depth product knowledge, persuading skills, listening skills, patience, discipline, interpersonal skills to understand the customer, basic computer skills, etc.
Basic responsibilities of a sales associate include directing customers to different products, explaining the products to them, solving customer queries, handling cash, knowledge about the store’s layout, processing the payment, cleaning the store, etc.
A sales associate’s work hours are very flexible and thus a college student can easily do this job.
On average, a sales associate is paid $ 25 per hour. This rate can increase or decrease based on your experience and the number of working years.
Tutor
Tutoring can be a great job choice for college students as it keeps them in touch with learning, studying and understanding. This job is also flexible as it depends on you. You can choose the number of children you want to tutor, their timing, and fees. You can even change the timing if you have some other work.
You do require basic qualifications like a high school degree, diploma to become a tutor. Certain other skills you need to have are the patience to deal with children, an inclusive mindset, empathy toward the child, impulse control, positivity, listening skills, good communication, etc.
The basic responsibilities of a tutor include teaching the children, solving their problems, conducting tests and exams, preparing them for final exams, practicing the subject, suggesting ways to learn quickly, giving homework, etc.
On average, a tutor is paid $ 30 to $ 40 per hour. The hourly rate also depends on the child. If the child has a learning disorder, then the tutors get paid higher which is almost $ 80 to $ 100 per hour.
Administrative Assistant
This type of job doesn’t have the same flexibility that the other jobs mentioned above provide but this job provides you with professional experience that no other job can provide. You need to work in a real office setting. You do require basic qualifications like a high school degree, diploma to become an administrative assistant for any firm.
Certain skills required include good comprehending skills, listening skills, management skills, time scheduling, researching, phone etiquette, analyzing skills, basic computer skills, planning, etc.
The basic responsibilities of an administrative assistant include attending phone calls, planning meetings, recording all visits, solving customer queries, collecting mail, answering those emails, managing company invoices and reports, etc.
The working hours of an administrative assistant aren’t flexible like the rest of the jobs mentioned above. As this position comes in a corporate setting they have certain rules and regulations that you need to follow. But the job has a lot of potentials and will look quite good on your resume.
On average, an administrative assistant is paid $ 18 per hour. This can vary based on your experience.
Gym Receptionist
This type of job is quite flexible because gyms open up early in the morning and stay open till late at night. They include different shift hours out of which you can choose the most appropriate one according to your schedule. To become a gym receptionist you don’t require any high-end qualifications but require some same qualifications like a degree, diploma.
Some other skills that you will require are communication skills, data entry, listening skills, greeting skills, positive nature, punctuality, basic computer skills, good observing skills, planning, and scheduling, etc.
The basic responsibilities of a gym receptionist include welcoming clients, solving their problems, helping them find other coaches, greeting the clients, answering calls, keeping the desk area well organized, keeping a record of everyone who enters the gym, and reporting authorities if anything happens.
The gym hours are quite flexible as gyms remain open for longer hours. You can either work the morning shift or the late-night shift.
On average, a gym receptionist is paid $ 12 per hour. This can vary based on your experience and working years.
Lifeguard
This job is suitable for all the swimmers out there. It’s a beach job and you can enjoy the job while relaxing. This job doesn’t require any qualifications but you need to have certain skills to get the job. You need to be good at swimming, have hearing accuracy, good observation skills, empathy towards all forms of life, interpersonal skills, good stamina, arms strength, helping nature, and basic medical knowledge, etc.
The basic responsibilities of a lifeguard include opening and closing swimming areas, making people aware of all danger points, keeping an eye on small children, helping lost children, saving people from drowning, giving CPR, etc.
On average, a lifeguard is paid $ 16 per hour.
Conclusion
These were a list of all the jobs a college student can do while continuing his/ her studies. All the jobs mentioned above are quite flexible and easy to do. There isn’t a lot of work stress which will thus allow you to concentrate better on your studies as well. Studying and working at the same time benefits young college students a lot as they are often asked about work experience. Even if you don’t have any work experience in the subject you are pursuing you still can mention these jobs on your resume because they do count as work experience.