5 great part-time job for students to earn a little extra pocket money

How To Earn Pocket Money For Students In India?

With the rising costs of education and living expenses in most metropolitan cities, earning a little extra pocket money is always of interest to most students.
Choosing the right part-time job can, however, be quite challenging and depends on several factors.
One of these is the kind of course or education undertaken, as different courses involve different time and energy commitments.
In this regard, it is crucial that your part-time job does not interfere with your educational commitments.
A good part-time job should ideally be one in which you can earn the amount of money you require, depending on your circumstances, as well as grow and build some new skills.
On occasion, a part-time job can actually assist you in building skills and experience relevant for your career choice.
Hence, a combination of learned skills, pay, and appropriate time investment is essential for a part-time job to be sustainable.

Student Pocket Money

Below are some of the best ideas for a sustainable part-time job for students looking to earn a little extra pocket money.

This is currently an excellent position for most students to earn a little extra pocket money.
As a social media marketer, you will be in charge of promoting and raising awareness about a particular brand or a company and/or product on various social media sites.
These usually include Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Snapchat, among others.
Depending on the product or company’s specific requirements, one or more of these platforms may be more preferred than the others.
This usually depends on the percentage of the target audience using each of these platforms, as well as the product features.
As most of the student population already spends a significant amount of their time on these social media platforms, this is a perfect way to make some money on the side.
This will also help you learn how to better use the special features of these platforms and appeal to target audiences more directly.
These are also highly valued skills in the new-age job market and can help you gain the right experience.

Content Writer

This is a very good option for students who already like writing, and want to keep their skills polished and relevant in a fast-paced and dynamic job market.
Not only will this give you the chance to write on a variety of topics, but it will also help you with generating better content much faster.
Further, content writing will also help develop your research and editing skills.
Students can learn how to deliver different kinds of content tailored to different platforms and audiences, such as short bites or longer feature articles.
In today’s age of big data and more importantly, fast-changing data, content is in tremendous demand.
Anyone who can communicate their thoughts quickly, lucidly, and effectively will stand to do very well in this field.
There are several freelancing jobs and internships which require content writing and pay by the word.
The rate of payment varies according to experience, the number of words, and type of content.
In some cases, it may even vary depending on the type of contract.
Content writing is also a very useful skill to combine with social media marketing, as you can then be in charge of creating the posts as well as circulating them.

Video Editing

This is another very useful skill in the job market today, and there is no better way to practice it to begin with than with a part-time job.
This role will require video creation, editing, specialised features, highlights, and so on.
This role can be tailored for a wide range of activities such as events, documentaries, short films, advertising, and commercial purposes, among several others.
As this skill is in high demand, the pay is usually very good as well, and the hours are extremely flexible, which will make it an ideal job to pursue along with your education.
However, on occasion, the final rounds of video editing may take some time, which needs to be accounted for.
Nowadays, it is possible to create high-quality videos with phone cameras, such as with iPhones and One Plus phones.
This is a very favourable development for students, as no expensive specialised equipment will be required to pursue this job, at least not initially.
Video editing has seen unprecedented growth in scope in the last few years, which also leaves room for a lot of innovation and creativity.
This skill may also come in handy with your college assignments and projects to give them a more polished presentation.

Tuitions

This is arguably one of the most common ways of earning a little extra pocket money for students across the world.
Not only does it help you revise your subject matter knowledge and keep up to date, but it also greatly develops your teaching skills.
In several higher education institutes, teaching assistantships are of the utmost importance, as they help you build a strong CV as well as pay good stipends.
Taking tuitions helps build the skills that you will need to secure a good teaching assistantship position in the future.
This can also help students who wish to enter the academic field after their college education.
Providing tuitions also helps you stay up to date on current and relevant news and changing patterns in education, learning, and your chosen field of study.
Students learn to build resilience, strong research skills, and the ability to adapt to any given situation.
This can also help them network better with their peers and build their communication and relationship-building skills.

Freelancing and Interning

Freelancing or interning can be a very effective way to build up your CV for potential post-college recruiters as well as to earn a little extra pocket money while studying.
There are several freelancing and internship websites in India, which can help you match your skills with the best and most relevant employer.
This is also the best way to find part-time jobs for more niche skills, such as dog-walking, photography, pet-sitting, gardening, etc.
As these are very niche services, they are usually only advertised on a few specific job boards or through word of mouth.
Freelancing can also ensure that you are able to turn a hobby you truly enjoy into a job that can help sustain yourself and build new skills.
The rate of pay depends on the kind of job you are looking for, as well as your relevant experience or expertise in that particular area.
It may be hard for students to find suitable jobs in the beginning and the job search may take a little time, but with the right research and persistence, you can break into the industry you are aiming for.
It is also vital to keep doing projects related to your interests, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem, as they help build a relevant portfolio.

In Conclusion

There are several options for students wishing to make a little extra pocket money on the side.
It is just a matter of choosing the right opportunity for yourself.
If you decide to invest your time in a part-time job, it is advisable to pick one that can help you build relevant and useful skills as well as one that you truly enjoy.
Part-time jobs are also great for experimenting with different industries and careers so that you are equipped to pick out the ones that you are truly interested in pursuing in the long term.
It is also important to combine relevant skills to have a better chance of landing a perfect job in the current market, such as content creation and social media marketing.

FAQs

Q. Can I earn well with coding as a part-time job?

Ans: Yes, coding is another very popular way of keeping your skills relevant and polished and earning a little bit of extra money. You can find opportunities to work on exciting apps, websites, and other freelance projects, with a bit of luck. You can also include this experience in your CV for better full-time opportunities after your college education.

Q. Should I negotiate the payment rates in a part-time job?

Ans: This is a tricky situation, as it depends entirely on your skill and experience in the kind of work that you want to pursue. A reasonable way to navigate this may be to do your research thoroughly on the kind of pay scale prevalent with the industry and job of your choice. You can find out appropriate pay scales for a part-time and entry-level job, and thus ensure that you get paid fairly. Once your skills and experience are enhanced, you can increase your rates accordingly.

Q. How can I find part-time jobs which will give me references and certificates for future use?

Ans: There are several specialised internships and part-time job websites which will provide both a stipend and certificates, for further use and references. You can make use of a website which best caters to your needs, and filter your job search accordingly. However, keep in mind that there are several unpaid internships that only provide certificates. Hence, if you also want some money, you will have to tailor your search accordingly.

Q. How many hours per week should I dedicate to a part-time job?

Ans: This depends entirely on your course load and the amount of academic work and other commitments you have. Some college courses have heavier loads and more extra-curricular activities than others; hence there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach here. However, a good estimate is to spend no more than 20 hours per week for a part-time job or internship. This way, your academic work will not be affected.

Q. How can I balance both my academic work and my part-time job?

Ans: This greatly depends on the individual and also on the kind of work that you want to undertake. It may be useful to have a set schedule and timetable, where you allocate proportionate amounts of time for both your academic work and your part-time job. It is also useful to have a limit on the number of hours that you will be working so that they do not overlap with your education.