17 Best Online Jobs for College Students – And How to Get Started


Online jobs for college students

 While in college, I had to physically appear at my place of work. For instance, when I was working in a restaurant, I had to be there from 3pm, and the worst part is that on that particular day, my lecture ended at 1pm.

So basically, I had a maximum of one hour rest before getting to work again, and it was not rest time per se, because during this hour, I was on the bus, heading to my place of work already. It is not easy multitasking in this case, especially since you are tired and burnt out.

On one of my off days, my best friend needed my help with writing some blog posts. I was all in, and since I tasted an online job, I got the chance to be hired by this company. After picking up on how to do the jobs, I quit my job at the restaurant.

This was the beginning of my success. I can now comfortably write from the comfort of my house since all I need is just a laptop and a stable internet. This blog post is going to cover on some of the best online jobs for college students. Therefore, if you are tired of showing up physically at your workplace then you are in the right place, and keep reading.

Online Tutor

People always told me that college work is hard and that no one barely comes out of it the same person. I took up this challenge upon myself and decided to prove that it is always not the case.

The truth is, I find college work very easy and interesting. However, you should never assume that everything is going on smoothly for your friends or classmates too. Some people are struggling with college work, and need help.

Online learning - online jobs for college students

You could make a living from offering online tutoring classes. By sharing what you know with these students. Thankfully, the internet has come to the rescue of many people since you are not limited only to your geographic location.

You can teach kids and other students from anywhere around the world. All they need to do is to enroll for your online class and pay tuition fee, and before you know it, you will be living a financially, physically and emotionally stable job. This is one of the best online jobs for college students.

How to get started

  • Know the requirements of becoming an online tutor.
  • Determine your target audience.
  • Choose a subject or topic and a course pattern that you will follow.
  • Select the best online platform to sell your course.I recommend you to check out Skillshare.

Freelancer Writer

A freelance writer is someone who is hired to write content for a given company or website. The website then uses the information written by the freelancer, to promote its services or products.

There is a need to hire more writers since companies want to build long term relationships and build trust with their target audience. Freelance writing is one of the best online jobs for college students since it only requires a laptop and internet. Since I wrote the first blog post for my friend, I could also write different kinds of articles. This is how I started making money online and comfortably paid my bills.

How to Get Started:

  • Research about freelance writing and become familiar with writing skills and the necessary tools.
  • Choose your niche.
  • Set up a website or a blog post and collect testimonials from your clients.
  • Start pitching for jobs on different writing platforms. Fiverr and Upwork will get you started.

Editor

There are different editing tools that can help in editing articles. Most of the online jobs for college students are ones that anyone can handle, as long as you know how to read and write.

If you can handle this perfectly, you might be lucky to find and build a long term business relationship with your clients. Once the client is satisfied with the quality of your work, you can be assured that you will be receiving more work from him or her.

How to get started:

  • Read as much as you can and be familiar with editing different kinds of jobs. You can incorporate the use of editing tools.
  • Look for editing jobs.You will find great opportunities in freelance sites such as Fiverr.
  • Take a leap as a freelancer.

Online surveys

With this type of work, I would not recommend that you quit your current work. Taking part in online surveys is among the part time online jobs for college students.

This kind of work does not need any level of experience to be able to do. Surveys usually take a minute or less, and is one of the best ways to make extra cash. Also, you need to know that many survey sites have a minimum payout, which requires you to have some amount of money in your account before withdrawing.

How to get started:

  • Look for companies online (Swagbucks , InboxDollars) which require public feedback.
  • See if the amount they pay for the survey works well for you.
  • Start taking the survey.

Audio transcription

Of all the online jobs for college students, I find this the easiest online job anyone can do. All you need to have is a laptop, stable internet connection and your earphones or headphones. It entails listening to an audio then writing down what you hear.

Computers are still being used for transcribing, but they still are not perfect at determining human speech. This is why a human transcriber is needed. Due to this demand, more people are needed to listen to audios and turn them into written words.

How to get started:

  • Visit different transcription sites online.Rev might be the perfect place to start.
  • Try registering for one that has many jobs.
  • Have a laptop, stable internet and headphones then start working.

Photography

Videos seem to have taken the most of social media platforms, but photos are not going away anytime soon. Some online jobs for college students do not require you to have any specific skills to get started. For instance, in this case, all you need to have is a smartphone with a clear camera and an editing app. If you can also afford a camera then go for it.

Photography - online jobs for college students

With excellent quality pictures, you can turn passion into money instantly. People will book you in advance for photo shoots and take random pictures in random places. Your social media page may be the beginning of your success.

How to get started:

  • Get a camera or use a phone camera that is very clear.
  • Start taking random pictures and edit them to look more flawless but real.
  • Start taking photos of your families or friends and post them on your social media platforms and leave a page or number where people can reach you. This may be the beginning of your success.
  • You can earn money out of photos you taken by selling them on your website or other platforms such as , Adobe stock or Shutter stock.
  • Start taking appointments.

Teaching a Foreign Language

This is an added advantage for those who speak more than one language perfectly. Personally, I freelance, I edit articles, I transcribe audios and I also offer foreign language classes. The truth is that some of these online jobs for college students are skills that we already have, and we just need to put them into practice.

In such a case, you can look for the opportunity to teach a foreign language to English speakers. To get this job, you have to be sure that you are fluent in the language you are teaching. You should not mislead people if you do not because there is always another job that you can handle.

How to get started:

  • Be familiar with the foreign language you want to teach.
  • Start an online social platform where people can find and register for the classes.
  • Platforms like skillshare could be your best starting point where you will have a passive income over time.

Language Translator

If you understand, can write and speak foreign languages fluently then the translator job is for you. As discussed above, online jobs for college students are not as complicated as people make them appear. You can make good money as a professional translator if you have a clear understanding of the professional basics of a translator.

In addition to that, these types of online jobs for college students handle all types of documents, from scripts to instruction manuals. The truth is that a translation job pays well and you are able to make some good money while in college. Translation has risen in many workplaces, and with this demand, it is easier to get a translation job.

How to get started:

  • Know every word and pronunciation of the specific language. Do not change the meaning of the statement when translating.
  • Start an online classes website.
  • Share your website on different platforms for people to reach out.

Blogging

Have you ever wondered where the articles that we find online come from? Well, people who write these articles are known as bloggers. Blogging is another fun online job for college students, especially since you are doing what you love.

Blogging - online jobs for college students.

To be successful in this industry, you have to choose a topic that offers more value to your readers, and if it is a topic that you like and you have researched adequately about then you are on the safer side. You can set up your website, and with good planning and time management skills, you can promote your blogs in your free time.As an example , I chose a niche that I am comfortable with. So that I can genuinely help other people.Take a glance at our blog by clicking here!

How to get started:

  • Choose a topic that you are most comfortable with.Not a topic only because you could probably earn money from it.
  • Determine your audience and topics that offer more value to them.
  • Start sharing your blogs on websites that pay you for the blog posts.

Search Engine Evaluator

We mostly use search engines when doing research on given topics. Online jobs for college students don’t have to be as complicated as people make them to be. Various such engines, such as Bing and Google are constantly updating their algorithms.

This means that they still require human touch, and if you feel that you are up to the task then you should definitely try this online job. However, this type of work requires sacrifice and you should only consider doing it if you can sacrifice up to ten hours of your time in a week to get things done.

How to get started:

  • Apply to one of the companies hiring for Evaluators.
  • Do and pass the qualification test.
  • Complete all the required paperwork and start working.

Start an online store

What most college students don’t know is that they can start an online store where they sell different kinds of items. When considering flexible online jobs for college students, starting an online store is one of them.

After setting up an online store and adding some of the products you want to sell, you should give it a test run to see if your customers like the products you have or if they prefer one product over the other. This gives you a rough idea of what to work with and what product to avoid bringing in the market.

How to get started:

  • Set up an online store and do a test run for your products.
  • Determine your target market and find products they prefer the most.
  • Restock the products on demand and start selling in platforms such as Ebay.

Voice over work

If you have ever been complimented about having a great voice for radio, then you should consider using what you have to get what you want. It is a lot easier to start a voice-over work than you think. Online jobs for college students don’t have to be boring anymore.

If you are comfortable with reading out loud, then you should consider starting the voice over job.

How to get started:

  • Get a voice over training from professional companies.
  • Practice reading out loud.
  • Select the type voice over that you feel comfortable doing.
  • Take and pass the test in the company looking for voice-over actors.
  • Get hired and get started.
  • Freelancer sites such as Fiverr and Upwork might be the best places to start.

Social Media Marketing

Most people spend their time on social media, making it is easier to get involved in social media marketing. In addition to that, social media is an integral part of marketing of businesses.

If you are comfortable with being on social media platforms, and you have some designing experience, you can make money by running social media campaigns. This is one of the easiest  online jobs for college students that is comfortable and much fun for many students.

How to get started:

  • Be familiar with social media marketing for businesses.
  • Look for different online companies that are hiring social media marketers.
  • With your designing experience, do a sample work for each of the companies.
  • It is likely for one or more companies to hire you.
  • Select one that pays well and start working.

Social Media Influencer

Most college students love interacting on social media as compared to a one on one basis. This makes social media the best place to make money.

Social media influencer - online jobs for college students.

Your huge social media following can turn to be your source of income. The best online jobs for college students require your time, and if you love social media, you are in the best place to try your luck as an influencer.

How to get started:

  • Be familiar with the latest social media trends.
  • Have a huge social media following.
  • Look for companies requiring social media influencers get booked for an interview.
  • Pass the interview, get hired and get started.

Data Entry

Data entry job is one of the easiest and lowest skills involved online jobs for college students. Data entry jobs are in plenty, and all you need is to track a company that needs a data entry assistant.

However, data entry work is much easier and pays less than the Virtual assistant job and social media marketer. This is because it requires little work and does not require any experience to get started. If necessary, you may need to take a typing test speed to prove to the company hiring you that you are a qualified typist.

How to get started:

  • Take a typist test and ensure that you pass the test.
  • Submit your test and get hired in a company looking for a data entry specialist.

Remote Call Center Worker

To work as a remote call center worker, you need to have the line of the company connected to your house so that you can work comfortably from the comfort of your home.

You need to be familiar with the company’s daily activities and what they deal in, so that you give the desired response to the caller. This online job requires you to be fluent in the language you are speaking. This is to enhance communication between you and the caller.

How to get started:

  • Have the necessary qualifications for a remote call center worker.
  • Be familiar with what a company deals in and the relevant questions and answers that customers ask.
  • Have all the equipment you need and get started.

Graphic Designing

Being a graphic designer is one of the highly demanded online jobs for college students. It requires a little background to graphic designing. You can handle a simple task such as designing a company logo, or even handle a complex task such as designing an entire brochure.

In addition to that, you can do fun illustrations for given blog posts to attract more clients. This can turn to be your long-term source of income.

How to get started:

  • Get a background knowledge on graphic design.
  • Get into an internship program.
  • Start selling your work in your own website or freelancer sites such as Fiverr which has a huge demand for graphic designing.

Conclusion

There are different online jobs for college students, which are suitable for every student. Some require a little expertise whereas others do not require any skills or experiences.

It is time to break the 9-5 job mentality, and start doing something that you love, in your time and from a comfortable work space. The good thing about online jobs is that you can basically work from anywhere in the world as long as you have a laptop and a stable internet communication.

Social platforms have also enhanced this type of communication as you are no longer limited to your geographical location. Therefore, the discussed online jobs for college students are some of the best shots at making money while in college.


Image CourtesyCoffee vector created by pch.vector – www.freepik.com , Photo by Marco Xu on Unsplash , Photo by SkillScouter on Unsplash , Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash , Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash


Aruna Kumarasiri
Aruna Kumarasiri

Founder at Proactive Grad, Materials Engineer, Researcher, and turned author. In 2019, he started his professional carrier as a materials engineer with the continuation of his research studies. His exposure to both academic and industrial worlds has provided many opportunities for him to give back to young professionals.

Articles: 56

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