Flickr user Lower Columbia College (LLC)
Taking up a job during the summer break is a great way to earn some extra cash, which you can use to buy a new computer or some other item that you need for college. Alternatively, you can put it towards paying back those overwhelming student loans. Fortunately, there are several money making opportunities available if you know where to look.
You should know that when it comes to taking up a summer job, the one restriction is that you may not be able to take up a regular office job during this short time span. Very few employers, if any, would want to go through the process of hiring someone only to have to do it all over again a few months down the line. So cancel that off your list right away and consider these numerous other opportunities to earn extra cash this summer.
Tutoring
You’ll be surprised at the number of students who are interested in finding a tutor during the summer so they can catch up with the classes they struggle with or want to get ahead in. Different students require tutoring in different subjects, but the most common are math, science, and languages. There are several online platforms to utilize, or you could go old-fashion and put up flyers with details around your area.
Baby-Sitting Or Pet-Sitting
Parents and pet owners are always on the lookout for somebody honest and dependable to care for their children or pets when they have to stay back at work or if they want to go out for the evening.
If you are good with babies and younger children, babysitting would be a great way to make some extra money doing something you enjoy. Depending on the age group, you may have to stay home and watch over younger baby or you may have to take a slightly older child to the park so they can meet up with and play with their friends.
If you are good with pets, you should know that the number of people looking for pet-sitters far outnumbers the number of pet-sitters available. This means there are plenty of pet sitting jobs out there just waiting for you.
Parents and pet owners are usually very careful about whom they hire to look after their children or their pets so you may have to start with family friends and neighbors and ask them to vouch for you so you expand your circle of potential employers.
Take Up A Job At A Popular Tourist Attraction, Park, or Recreational Spot
Summer is peak tourist season in the US and popular tourist attraction authorities could always do with an extra pair of hands to help them in various departments. They often need help in several different areas from full-fledged tour guides to staff to man the ticket booths, help tourists find their way around, answer questions, give out promotional items and more.
The only requirements for this job are excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with people from all over the world. If you speak more than one language, this job will give you plenty of opportunities to practice your language skills too.
Freelance
Today, freelancing is one of the best ways to make extra money, whether you are still in high school or you are already employed. The biggest advantage of freelancing is that you can work as much or as little as you want. You can easily fit in one hour of work a day on school days and more over weekends and vacations. Even if you just work one hour a day, every day, your earnings will add up considerably over a period of time.
Another advantage of freelancing is that there are no restrictions as to the types of jobs you can take up. Just think of what skills you have and you will find that you can make money from it. If you love writing, you will find endless opportunities for making money writing content for website owners. The same goes for graphic designing, photography, web coding, app development, programming, and several other fields.
Take Surveys
Several companies conduct surveys to test the markets before launching a new product or to get feedback on products that are already on the market. Taking surveys is the easiest way to make extra money. Unfortunately, this money making avenue has received a lot of flak because of the scams that exist.
If you plan on going this route, make sure you do your due diligence and make sure the site is legit before you sign up. The amount you earn will vary significantly depending on the company that is conducting the survey. Higher-paying opportunities do exist but you will have to look around a bit to find them.
Sell Your Gently-Used Clothes And Accessories To The Second-Hand Store
You are not going to be able to fit all of your clothes, shoes and accessories in your college dorm, so this may be a good time to sort through your wardrobe. Most of us end up wearing only a few clothes from our overflowing wardrobes and the rest just sit there occupying space.
You know which are your favorites. Put those aside to take to college. Sort through the rest and take those clothes that you have worn just once or twice to the second-hand store. There are many stores that will pay you for gently used clothes, accessories and jewelry. It’s a far better use of your unused clothes rather than just keeping them in the closet.
Of course, this is no substitute for taking up a summer job but it’s a nice way to make some extra money from clothes and accessories that you no longer wear. You’ll be glad you did when you are in college and need to dig into your emergency reserves to meet some unexpected expense.
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