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I firmly believe that everyone in college should have a side job, especially after their first year.
As a student you may find it less stressful to study exclusively and finance your living expenses with student loans. But I can guarantee you one thing: You will immediately regret taking out loans for every day expenses when you graduate and discover the entirety of your debt from college.
College students can easily decrease the amount of money they have to borrow by paying out-of-pocket the costs other than tuition like room, board, books and entertainment.
But what side jobs can you do from the comforts of your own dorm room? Here I’ll share three side hustles that you can make money from while being your own boss.
Resume Writing
Let’s face it, some people are just not good at writing resumes or don’t have the time to put their credentials on paper. This is good news for you if you’re a half decent writer. The only skills you really need to write a quality resume are the abilities to write creatively and perform research.
There are tons of resume samples and formatting guides online you can use for different industries. And once you’ve got a good idea of what hiring managers are expecting in a candidate, you can construct a resume that will get your clients a call back.
To start off, promote your resume writing service to your peers who are applying for internships or entry-level jobs. Securing the first few clients will be the hardest, but after you have some work under your belt you can build a portfolio, launch a website and share testimonials that will bring customers to you.
Translation
Majoring in a language? Start translating, now! One thing I wish I had known in college is that it’s the perfect time to dabble in solopreneurship because when you graduate you’ll already have experience. And if you plan to translate with the language you’re learning, why not use it now to make money?
To start locating translation business, start locally. Ask your professors if they can offer advice on translating or if they can point you in the direction of translation opportunities. Then you can go to sites like www.proz.com, www.translatorscafe.com, www.translationdirectory.com to apply for jobs and secure a few clients. Once you’ve gained some testimonials and built a website you can pitch larger corporations and organizations.
Housing location
A college friend of mine built a pretty successful side businesses as a housing locator for college students. This side hustle is especially lucrative if you go to school in an urban location because often times students have less on campus housing options.
As a housing locator you act as the middle man between landlords and students who’re looking to rent. You prospect landlords to see if they need assistance marketing units to students. Then when students you refer sign leases, the landlord pays you commission.
If you’re charismatic and have a large social network for sharing listings, this could be side hustle venture that can make you some real money. Depending on your state, a license may be required for rental locators, so make sure you do a little research before taking on this type of work.
Do you have any other side jobs college students can do to make money? Share with us below!
Taylor Gordon is a freelance blogger with a deal obsession and an aspiration to be financially free on an average salary while enjoying the good life.
