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Online Jobs for College Students That Work Around Your Busy Schedule

Does the cost of tuition have you down?

Are you always short on money to fund your long-awaited weekend activities?

Do you wish you could find a good side hustle to earn extra cash while balancing your busy class schedule and social life?

That may have sounded like a late-night infomercial, but these scenarios are all too real for many college students struggling to stay afloat.

You might be seeking part-time or full-time work to help pay off your student loans, but the challenge is finding flexible employment that works around your hectic schedule.

What you may want to consider is finding an online job that affords you a flexible schedule, a decent paycheck, and the ability to make money in your spare time.

In this article, we’re going to highlight the best online jobs for college students, including plenty of links to resources so you can find the perfect gig that fits your lifestyle and skill set.

Writer

Writing is one of the best ways college students can make money on the side while still juggling a full load of classes.

Writing jobs are plentiful and have small barriers to entry if you fancy yourself a pretty good writer.

You might be thinking, “I’m not a writer.”

But the truth is, there are plenty of opportunities beyond writing books where you can earn a decent income.

There are many businesses and websites searching for talented and reliable freelance copywriters and bloggers.

Whether it’s blogging for websites, crafting articles for news publications, or resume writing for job seekers, writing is a critical skill sought after by many companies.

When looking for your first freelance writing gig, you’ll come across full-time jobs, part-time jobs, and freelance positions.

Being a freelancer might be a nice place to start since the options are more plentiful and the qualifications range from entry-level positions to full-on writing experts.

Find a job:

Editor or Proofreader

Student working on laptop in a white roomWriting, in its many forms, is encountered everywhere you look throughout your day-to-day life.

If you have a keen eye for detail and a penchant for proper grammar and spelling, there’s an opportunity for you in an online editing job or a proofreading gig.

As a student, the idea of editing and proofreading shouldn’t be a foreign concept to you.

To get where you are today you’ve likely written countless essays and reports that have all been edited and proofread in one way or another.

There’s also a pretty good chance that you’ve even edited or proofread some of your peers’ writing.

Blogs, essays, books, business websites, store flyers, and restaurant menus are just some of the content types that require the expertise of an editor or proofreader.

If you’re new to editing and proofreading, freelancing might be an appropriate first step to get your feet wet.

We’ve created a comprehensive guide to becoming an editor that I recommend you read.

Afterwards, if you think you fit the bill, then give the following sites a look to see if there are any prospective positions.

Find a job:

Freelance Jobs

If you can’t already tell, freelance positions are the ticket to finding flexible online jobs for college students.

While that can include writing, editing, and proofreading jobs, freelance job boards host a plethora of other opportunities that match nearly every skill set.

The question is, what are you good at? Some of the more popular freelance jobs are in web development, remote graphic design, customer service, freelance marketing, and accounting — but it’s definitely not limited to these options.

When looking for freelance work, you’ll come across one-off projects that will pay you an hourly or flat rate, recurring projects, and full-time contract work that provides a steady stream of work.

Depending on which skill you’re offering, the hours and pay structure will vary.

The best part is that you can set your own rates based on your level of expertise.

To find current freelance opportunities, head to one of these freelance job boards to begin your search.

Find a job:

Online English Teacher

Millions of young students around the world are waiting to learn English as their second language.

Through live video streaming, you can teach English online to kids from all over the world.

Many students outside of the United States are learning English as a second language at a very early age.

These job opportunities primarily involve teaching Chinese-speaking students the fundamentals of English and giving them a solid foundation of the language.

If you enjoy working with children and have a passion for education, teaching English as a second language might be your calling.

The hours are more structured but are still flexible enough to work around your class schedule.

Below are some of the more popular English teaching websites where you can apply.

Find a job:

Online Tutor

If teaching English as a second language isn’t for you, there’s always an opportunity to become an online tutor.

If you’re acing particular classes or consider yourself an expert in a certain field, then you can get paid to teach those subjects that come easily to you.

Being an online tutor not only helps others learn, but it also reinforces your knowledge of the subject.

They say you only truly understand a certain topic once you’re able to effectively teach others.

Plus, tutoring will look great on your resume when looking for your next job out of college.

Students of all ages are looking to learn from a tutor, including middle and high schoolers, your peers in college, and professionals in the workforce.

If you’re knowledgeable in a certain topic, like calculus, biology, accounting, or computer science, then you should definitely consider online tutoring as an employment option.

There is no shortage of online tutoring jobs available, so check them all out to see which one works best for you.

Find a job:

Find the best online jobs for college students

Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant — or VA — is a catch-all title that can encompass a wide range of tasks and jobs.

In a nutshell, a virtual assistant helps an individual or small businesses with any odd jobs they might need handled.

This could include handling a company’s payroll, responding to emails, creating presentation decks, managing schedules, or organizing invoices.

Since you’ll have a hand in all parts of the business and a behind-the-scenes look at how everything operates, this presents a fantastic opportunity for you to earn some cash and pad your resume at the same time.

The arrangement of your job responsibilities, pay rate, and required experience will vary depending on the position you’re applying for.

Head to some of the links below to see where you can start.

Find a job:

Data Entry

As the world transitions into a fully digital space, there are many documents that must be transferred from hard copies into digital format.

There’s also an abundance of content out there that needs transcribing or subtitling.

This is where the services of a data entry specialist come into play.

A data entry clerk is someone who takes information or data and inputs it into a more usable digital format.

Data entry jobs are flexible, allow you to work at home at your own pace, and also require very few qualifications.

If you have excellent typing skills, a reliable internet connection, an eye for detail, and don’t mind doing monotonous tasks, then an online data entry role might be a good one for you.

Find a job:

Social Media Manager

You’ve grown up having social media at your fingertips, so why not turn it into a job?

If you know social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram inside and out, you can take your expertise to businesses and get paid to manage their social media accounts.

As a social media manager, you’ll be the voice behind the business and handle the strategy and content that goes into each social channel.

Since social media management has a sneaky way of taking up more time than expected, businesses are happy to offload these responsibilities to workers who understand the space.

Not only could an opportunity like this be fun, but it’s also another excellent way to beef up your resume if you’re planning on going into the marketing, communications, or even video game journalism field.

To find a position in this field, your best bet is scouring the flexible employment and freelance jobs listed below.

Find a job:

Online Surveys

Answering surveys for money is one of the few online jobs for college students that you can truly create around your own schedule.

All you need to do is sign up to become a member of one of the best survey sites.

Then, based on the information you provide (such as your age, gender, marital status, and family demographics), you’ll get matched to an available survey.

Depending on the site, you’ll either be sent an email invitation to participate in a survey or you can log into your account to view available surveys.

You’ll usually be rewarded with points for doing surveys online, which can be accumulated and then exchanged for gift cards to major retailers like Amazon or Walmart, or cash out through your PayPal account.

While it’s not the most lucrative way to earn money online, it’s certainly among the easiest.

Find a job:

Work Around Your Schedule With Online Jobs for College Students

Between going to class, studying, and turning in assignments, you might feel like you hardly have any extra time beyond your hectic school schedule.

But you also know that a little extra money wouldn’t hurt, especially if you want to have a social life once classes are over.

Online jobs for college students like you provide an excellent opportunity to work from home (or campus) and make money without having to commute.

Take a good look at the many options listed in this guide to see which position best suits you.

Once you find flexible work that you can arrange around your classes, you’ll achieve more than just good grades — you’ll enjoy a good work-life balance that takes you into the future.

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