According to research by Georgetown University Centre on Education, 70% of college students hold one job or the other during their schooling period. Whether as an opportunity to make some side cash or to garner experience, these jobs provide a perfect platform for students to go on and earn full-time jobs.
And the best part? You don't need to have years of experience to take up these openings. All you have to do is to tailor your resume to fit the opening. Resume builder services such as ResumeBuild help make the process easy. It's the simplest way to acquire one of these opportunities. Here are six types of opportunities for college students.
On-Campus Part-Time Jobs
Every campus has tons of part-time opportunities for their students. From offices, gyms, libraries, cafes to bars, there are several openings that need people to man them. Here are a few strategies you can adopt to find on-campus part-time jobs.
- Check bulletin boards constantly. From your department bulletin boards to the university's, keep your eye out on any openings and opportunities.
- Talk to your lecturers. As members of faculty, university lecturers are sure to have information on potential openings.
- Talk to other students. Your friends are likely to have wind of an opportunity you may not have heard about.
- Join Student Organizations. These organizations often have links to internships and opportunities for students.
Online Teaching
No one understands students like other students. That's why college students are some of the best people to tutor. Online teaching has become a popular means of earning income for lots of college students. Aside from the money that can be raked in, online teaching provides a flexible schedule that many students can fit in.
Also, you are not limited to a geographical area. Because it's online, you can work remotely and still deliver the goods. From teaching elementary children to being an instructor in international exams such as IELTS and GRE, there are a plethora of courses to choose from. You can find such tutoring jobs at Tutor.com and Wyzant.
Freelancing
Freelancing is not just a passing trend but a proven way to make money and build a career. Remote work is set to be a fixture of work-life for many years to come. In fact, close to 60 million Americans are freelancers.
As a college student, you can start a freelance career in no time with very little or no money. All you need to do is to choose your preferred freelancing site such as Upwork and create a profile. Alternatively, you can set up your own professional website and start cold-pitching to get clients.
From writing, website design to a virtual assistantship, there are several jobs you can focus on as a freelancer. Choose a niche based on your passion, interest, future prospects and start freelancing.
Entrepreneurship
Think of the big tech behemoths like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. These companies did not start out in boardrooms but in college dorm rooms and garages. They are products of college students with a solution and an entrepreneurial spirit.
As a college student with no experience, no Fortune 500 company would ordinarily give you a senior position. However, you can create your own senior position through entrepreneurship. Even if you don't have an idea, team up with people who have one and begin your entrepreneurship journey. With thousands of students available, you already have a ready market for your business.
Internships
For an increasing number of universities, internships have become mandatory. And rightly so. Internships have so many benefits for students and employers alike. According to a study by the National Association of College and Employers, 60% of students in a paid internship program receive at least one job offer.
Internships help students gain the required experience for the job market, making it easier for them to fit into full-time roles when done. Students who undertake internships during their studies are more experienced and gain the soft skills necessary to progress in their field of endeavor. Many companies often prefer to hire interns and train them so they can be employed in the long run.
The good thing is that you can turn an internship into a job by putting up good behavior and delivering results for the company you're interning with. Some sites to find internships include LinkedIn, Glassdoor. Alternatively, you can conduct a simple google search using keywords. For instance, a search for "graphic design intern" would yield hundreds of hits in that niche.
Summer Employment
During the summer, many people go on vacation, leaving room for stop-gap employees. Also, there are a lot of events organized during the summer that require hands. Case-in-point, summer camps. These camps often require chaperones and counselors and a college student is usually a perfect fit. Check out your university's site and also job sites.
In Conclusion
Being a college student doesn't mean you have to wait till you're out of school before taking advantage of opportunities. There are tons of opportunities for college students. They include online tutoring, entrepreneurship, freelancing, and internships. Seize these opportunities to build up and position yourself for even bigger opportunities.
