Business

Best jobs for college students to have

By: Dale Arasa - @inquirerdotnet

Inquirer Los Angeles / 10:01 AM December 22, 2021

Nowadays, jobs for college students are easier to find because of the remote work trend. It opened a wide range of part-time jobs that offer flexibility, unlike anything before. As a result, college students now have more ways of earning money. They don’t even have to leave their place!

There are so many options it can be hard to find the best ones. You have so many things to consider, such as your current skills and schedule. If you’re studying for tests, who has time for that? Fortunately, I listed a few recommendations, so you’ll have an idea of the best ones right now.

I’ll get straight into my list of suggestions for the best jobs for college students. You’ll learn details such as the average salary and the skills needed. Next, I will discuss the many reasons why you’d want to get a job while you’re still in college. You’ll see that taking a job early can help you in various ways once you graduate.

#1. Freelance writer

You can earn an average of $58,344 a year.

If you have a knack for blogging or looking up a wide variety of topics, then you might want to take up freelance writing. It’s much easier to do because it’s available as a remote job.

What’s more, the internet has a lot of websites that connect freelancers and clients, such as Fiverr. Depending on several factors, you could earn roughly $30 to $500 per task.

On the other hand, you may write blogs, magazines, and other material for businesses. You’ll cover all sorts of topics, from personal finance to pop culture trends.

You’re probably writing a lot of essays for class anyway, so why not put the skill to good use? Work as a freelance writer now, and you can build a writing career early.

If you’re not interested in becoming a writer, this will help you build connections early. Once you graduate, your clients may help you earn a role in their company.

#2. Customer service representative

You can earn an average of $35,324 a year.

Most people think CSRs and call center agents are the same thing. Yet, customer service representatives often perform agents’ roles and other tasks.

In other words, they don’t just make and answer calls all day. Your company may ask you to be on live chat with other clients. Others may want you to send email notifications too.

Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t an easy job. You will have to be patient with customers, especially those who have complaints. What’s more, multitasking is a must.

You will have to handle phone calls while writing emails or sending instant messages. Some companies might require you to juggle all three!

Yet, this might be a better choice than freelance writing if you prefer speaking with people. Unlike that job for college students, you won’t spend too much time quiet in front of a computer.

On the other hand, freelance writing involves less stress and more salary. Earning 35 grand every year isn’t bad, especially when you’re working part-time while studying.

#3. Virtual assistant

You can earn an average of $45,138 a year.

This one pays more than CSRs, but it’s still below that role. You see, virtual assistants usually have more tasks than the previous entries, including:

Studying a company’s competitors and customers
Looking for new products and services
Searching for new prospects and leads
Managing an executive’s schedule
Booking hotel stays
Writing and posting press releases
Writing online updates for a company
Handling sales and data entry
… and many more!

Some companies will give you this role as a remote job, but this may seem a bit much for a part-time role. Yet, it’s one of the best jobs for college students right now.

#4. Online influencer

You can earn an average of $52,531 a year.

If you’ve been using the internet for a long time, you’ve likely heard of online influencers. These are regular folks who earn money by promoting products on the internet.

That’s not their main activity, though. Influencers usually have a specific type of content that gains them millions of followers. Then, they encourage those folks to buy a product or service.

Back then, there were brand ambassadors, and they were similar to the online influencers of today. However, those folks didn’t have the reach that influencers have nowadays.

This one pays more than the previous entries except for online writers, so why isn’t it higher on the list? Well, becoming an influencer isn’t as easy as you may think.

You don’t just go to a company and apply as an online influencer. Instead, you will have to start that career by yourself. You’ll be the one in charge of planning and creating your content.

What’s more, you will have to spend on equipment, such as a quality recording mic. If you want to be an Instagram influencer, you will face a lot of competition.

If you want to get into the YouTube scene, you need to know video editing. Don’t think it will be easier if you just do live streams. You will have to stand out among so many other wannabes.

This means you will likely spend a lot of time and money to get started. Still, if you want to earn extra money and online clout, this might be the job that’s right for you.

Should college students get a job?

Note that I didn’t include a lot of other jobs for college students, such as graphic designer, tutor, and tour guide. If my suggestions aren’t your thing, you might want to try those instead.

Getting part-time work while studying can be much easier nowadays. Due to the work-from-home trend, various full-time jobs are now open as remote options.

What’s more, they’re available on much more flexible schedules than before. You may choose a set period or be free to do anything else as long as you meet deadlines.

Despite the name, work-from-home jobs don’t have to mean staying in your bedroom all day. Bring your laptop and internet connection, and you can work at a coffee shop or anywhere else.

Jobs for college students can serve various purposes, both short-term and long-term. Let’s look at some of these benefits below:

Cover expenses – An online job can help you have more money for food, utilities, and other stuff. Prices are rising quickly nowadays, so it’s always best to have more cash.
Build savings – You may also build an emergency fund with the extra cash, so you’ll be able to handle any sudden expense. Of course, we don’t want to think about anything bad happening, but it’s best to have money on hand just in case.
Pay student loans – You may think this is a stretch, but jobs for college students may reduce student debts, even by a little bit. You could save up now, so you’ll be ready to pay yours off once you graduate.

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Final thoughts

It’s up to you whether you’ll get a job while studying or not. This article is just meant to notify you and other readers that options are available.

That choice will depend on your long-term goals and current preferences. For example, you might want to work as a dog walker or pet sitter if you love dogs.

You can check out more remote work options by clicking on this other article. While you’re at it, read the other Inquirer USA articles for the latest trends worldwide.