Student jobs you’ve probably never considered

Let’s face it, having no money sucks, and having to work sucks even more. However, there are a tonne of jobs that can earn you cold hard cash and still be fun, others may not pay at all but will look great on those CVs. Here are the jobs you could find yourself working if you look further than big retail stores or bars, which often don’t fit in with your career plan.

Club promoter

We all know at least one friend who promotes for a club. Though the occupation gets a bad reputation sometimes for paying badly and employing people who love themselves, some promoters are simple students trying to make a quick quid and get free drinks.

Life as a promoter in Brighton isn’t so bad, but it isn’t so good either. Often you will be standing outside handing out discount entry bracelets to pedestrians, or working inside the club as a cloakroom attendant. If you’re lucky, you’ll be the person responsible for checking stamps. With the right employers, this job can be really fun and exciting, the connections you will make at this job will be so enormous that you can get into any club for free -not to mention the free drinks and guests list.You’ll typically pocket £7 an hour with an average work week of 8 – 12 hours.

There are some big pros and cons to this job. The pros are that you will not work during uni hours, you get free entry into the club, guestlist for your friends, and make great connections with club managers. The cons are that typical hours are from 23:00 to 04:00 during weekdays you work rain or shine, and you have to deal with drunk people all night. Overall, it’s a great job for anyone who enjoys going out to clubs and events, and wants to make contacts. Some skills that you learn at this job can transfer into a full career, like people skills and public speaking.

Army reserve

There is always something for someone in the Army, from Infantry for those who like fitness to finance/admin/legal to those business and law students, to medical training for medicine students, and finally mechanics for engineering students. The Navy and Air Force also offer similar programmes.  

Despite this, not a lot of students consider joining the reserve. This is no ordinary job. Even at a starting position, you will be entrusted with big responsibilities.  Facing the recruitment process then basic training is long and tedious. The life of a soldier is not for everyone. That said, once you are in, you’ll make friends for life.

So, what exactly does the job entail? The Reserve Force will have you parade at a local unit closest to you once a week (generally at night) and for the first year 2 weekends a month. You will be trained in basic soldering skills as well as your trade occupation.  An entry salary is £36.75 per day for a Non-Commission Member or £63.95, and you could work anywhere between 3 and 61 hourss weekly. This system has its ups and downs, but the skills you learn from this job are kills  leadership, discipline, fitness, technical knowledge, and legal/Finance/Administration skills. Lots of employers look for these skills. Moreover, there are often pay bonuses, and summer jobs are guarantees.

There are some cons to the job. As well late working hours, subject to weather (you work rain or shine, hot or cold), could work 24 hr shifts, meaning sleepless nights. It also means more laws to follow  and you have to keep an eye on your hair.

You can’t see me!!!

Freelance writer

This is an excellent and very rewarding career path for students. Though for the most part it does not pay much (or any money at all), the rewards and opportunities it creates could set you up for life.

Publications such as the local school paper or web-based publications such as The UnderClassy  or The Tab are always hiring new writers. Publication experience is key to a successful career in journalism and you can move up the ranks quite fast.

The best part is that you can choose your own hours, and if you don’t want to work one week, no one is forcing you to. Even if journalism is not your passion and you don’t want to pursue it as a career, taking this route looks really good on any CV. Lots of jobs look for interviewing skills, writing skills, and people who can work to deadlines.

The perks of the job can be quite rewarding if your blog or articles are popular and you go viral. It’s nice to tell family and mates that you are a published author, and you can even work in PJs. As with everything in life there are a few cons; if you can’t write, maybe this isn’t a job for you, plus you usually work for free (it’s for love, not money).

Self-employed

It’s not such a crazy idea to work for yourself and get paid. Though its easier said than done, you and any Joe Blow off the street can start and run a business.

The best part is that you can pick any industry you want, you like cars—wash cars on the weekends. If you like sports—start a league of something and charge people to join. The list of opportunities is endless. The only downside to running your own business is the hours required to work and the vast knowledge you have to have in the field you chose to work on. Basically, if you want to start a mechanics shop—make sure you know a thing or two about cars, and that you have all the required prerequisites needed to legally run. PSA: we aren’t saying drug dealing is not considered self-employment, if you don’t want to get caught out, keep it legal. 

Nail it and you can be bring home the bacon every night, and after your studies, you can either continue to run it on the side or sell it to make a potentially large sum of money. Some things to watch out for are legal paperwork, permits, educational requirements, and already established businesses in the area that work in the same field.  

There’s no set wage. You can work hard  but earn little money, or vice versa, but  skills learned from this is incredible.  Entrepreneurship, finance, administration, any related skill in the field you chose to work in. The perks of this job is that you get to choose your own hours,  be your own boss and have the final say in matters at hand. The cons are long working hours, dealing with customers and suppliers, and general stress.