10 Jobs You Could Take While You Study

I’ve never heard of a varsity student who’s never needed an extra income other than what they receive from their parents. Getting a job while studying could not only help fatten your pockets, but it could contribute to your CV. It shows the initiative you took while you were in school to potential employers. Of coarse the job would have to be part time as much of your time would be spent on your studies. So, here’s a list of jobs you can take while you’re at school.

1. Tutor

If you’re really good at a certain module and you’re in a senior level of your course you could tutor people in the first year of your course who are struggling. Charge for an hour or two of your time every week to work with them and help them improve. If you feel bad asking fellow cash-strapped students for money, you could also advertise at local high schools, offering subject tutoring. Parents of college-bound students will pay big bucks to give their kids an academic edge.

2. Office assistant

Almost every on-campus department needs an office assistant to help answer the phones, schedule appointments and keep files in order. It may not be the best or interesting part-time job, but what you learn there may come in handy down the road. Even if your future job doesn’t require filing and spreadsheets, learning how to get and stay organized will be a huge advantage in any field you enter and in the remainder of your college career.

3. Babysitter

If your end goal is to work with children after college, reaching out to families near your campus that need child care can be a lucrative move. Working parents often need someone to supervise their young children after school until they get home from work, so if it fits your class schedule, you could probably get a steady weekday job. Otherwise, consider sacrificing a few weekend parties in favour of kids’ movies and board games to earn that extra cash.

4. Fitness instructor

If your local or campus gym offers fitness classes like spin or yoga, sign up to become an instructor. You can squeeze in a workout, help fellow students get in shape, and get paid, all at the same time. This type of work environment can also help hone your people skills, a must in almost any future career path.

5. Campus tour guide

Being a campus tour guide requires exceptional marketing, leadership and people skills — something you’re likely to see in a job description down the road. As a tour guide, you’ll show groups around campus and point out the highlights of academic and extracurricular life. You’ll need to brush up on trivia and policy knowledge about your school to field questions from curious high schoolers and their parents, too. If you can handle that with confidence and a smile, this is the job for you.

6. Teaching assistant

If you’re an honours student, you can gain valuable experience in education and leadership by working as a teaching assistant (TA). In large seminar courses, a professor can’t give individual attention to every student, so a TA can act as another resource or liaison to the professor. Responsibilities often include taking attendance, grading tests and papers and holding office hours to meet with students.

7. Computer repair

Most students if not all have laptops nowadays. With so many notebooks and tablets on campus, chances are a good percentage of them are going to crash or otherwise break at some point during the school year. If you’re a techie who can fix these issues with relative ease, you can offer to repair your fellow students’ computers for less than the campus IT department. This is a big booster for your CV if you’re looking to get into a tech-related field after graduation.

8. Freelance writer

Every aspiring journalist knows that getting published is crucial to landing a great job. Larger media websites often offer paid editorial opportunities for individuals who can write frequently and well. Freelancers work remotely and usually get paid by the article, so you can get a pretty decent cash flow going if you can turn stories around quickly.

9. Retail salesperson

This option is best suited for students majoring in Marketing. A retail job can amount to a lot more than ringing up items and folding t-shirts. This job requires attention to detail, great customer service and a knack for persuading people to make purchases. These are critical skills in the marketing world, so a cashier position could actually be a plus when applying for jobs.

10. Resident assistant

For those with a level head, good attitude and strong character, being a resident assistant (RA) can really have its perks. You’ll get to know a ton of amazing students and, if you do it right, become a great problem solver and leader. Aside from the late nights and the occasional trip to the emergency room with an intoxicated resident, but most students who become RAs love the experience and do it for the rest of their time in school. RAs also usually receive free room and board for their work, so it just might be worth it.

Mbali Radebe