Despite the stereotypes, students aren’t all lazy bums with nothing better to do than to drink alcohol and laze around all day.
They want to work and work hard. Whether it’s because you want experience or some extra money, the world of freelancing can give you access to work in a diverse range of fields.
It’s tough to get started in a normal job in the current economic climate. An increasing number of students are deciding to go freelance and earn money in their spare time.
Here are some of the most popular freelance opportunities available to you right now.
Freelance Writing
Handy with a pen? Think about freelance writing. This field does have lots of competition, but even a few articles a week can pay for your night out. It can involve anything from writing articles to website content. As you become more experienced, you’ll steadily start earning more money.
Thousands of writers make a full-time living from freelance writing. To get involved, start looking at freelance bidding websites.
Clients post jobs and you bid for them by putting forward a project proposal. Alternatively, look for businesses in need of freelancers on websites such as Craig’s List.
Web Designing
Web designers are always in great demand. As a student, you have the advantage of being able to undercut your competitors.
For the average website charged to a business, you can earn over $1,000 without any problems. You do need to have a good knowledge of languages like HTML, CSS, and PHP, though.
This isn’t a freelance job you can do if you don’t have a lot of computer knowledge. If you’re unsure of your skills, try making your own website. You can consider enrolling in a part-time course outside of class too.
Survey Filling
Sites pay small amounts of money for your opinions. They work on behalf of companies who want to gain consumer opinions to help them design their future products and marketing campaigns.
It doesn’t pay much for a single survey, but a few hours of doing this boring job can make it worth your while.
The best part about this freelance role is you don’t need any other skills other than the ability to click a mouse button and give your opinion.
Data Entry
A data entry job is another unskilled role. In short, it’s about putting figures into boxes. Anyone can do it and it doesn’t pay much.
Reach out to local businesses to see if they need someone to do this. Trying to find data entry jobs online isn’t easy because of foreign competitors drastically undercutting you.
Virtual Assistant
Consider becoming a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is essentially a secretary. Many freelancers employ them to do things like ordering their files, researching subjects, and planning their schedules.
Virtual assistants don’t always end up in permanent roles. Often, they’re called in as and when needed. The best way to go about this is to connect with businesses in your region.
Try to target tech-heavy companies, like web designers and marketers, as they’re more likely to need an online assistant.
Journalism
Journalism can pay quite well and give you something to put on a future job application. Universities regularly use student journalists to cover major events, such as in sports and academia.
You could find yourself featured in the student newspaper and travelling to various venues around the country. Moreover, these trips are paid for by the university.
To enter journalism, you’ll need good analytical skills and the ability to choose an appropriate style for the scoop you’re covering.
Odd Jobs
Freelancing isn’t just a product of the online world. Freelancer working is just working for yourself and doing odd jobs.
You can do that as a student. Offer to tutor other students in your subject, or charge them for editing and proofreading their essays. You could even offer to help them clean or deal with other household chores.
