College Students: Ditch the Free Internships and Start Working Remotely Part Time Now
Gain valuable work experience, earn money on your time, and never compromise your studying with a part-time virtual gig.
What’s the perfect job for a college student?
A job that pays enough to cover tuition and still leaves you with cash to host the occasional party?
Or one with a flexible schedule so you can attend all your classes, write papers, and study for exams without losing your shifts?
If you think a job with all these perks doesn’t exist, you need to seriously consider remote work.
Why Every College Student Needs a Remote Part-Time Job
Here’s what specifically makes a remote job a better fit for students:
You Can Work In Your Chosen Field Before Graduation
If you’re studying to be a programmer, bagging groceries, making lattes, or working at the mall may not be the best places for you to pick up certain specific skills you’ll need in your career later.
But thanks to the rise in remote work, you can find a job in your potential field anywhere in the world.
Working in your niche before graduation will allow you to gain experience and help you determine which jobs you’ll be interested in when you leave school.
Your real-world knowledge of tools like Slack, Asana, Skype, etc. will make you a better candidate than other new grads who chose an internship or mall gig instead.
You’ll also make network connections within your industry and get paid, which you can’t say is true about most internships.
Unlike an Unpaid Internship, You’ll Earn Money
Lots of students feel they need to become interns because they don’t have enough work experience to land a job that pays.
They also believe the connections they make during their internship will give them a leg up in the job market come graduation.
But a remote job offers both work experience and valuable network connections in your industry without forcing you to be on the clock for free.
Plus, a remote job also helps you slash work-related expenses so you can save more of your hard-earned money.
Save More of Your Income
Working remotely doesn’t take much to get started — as long as you have access to a computer or laptop connected to the internet, you can start ASAP.
This means you can work from your dorm room, the common areas, the lawn on a sunny day — wherever you want.
It also means you don’t need to take the bus or buy a car, have auto insurance, or spend on gas money to get to and from your job. You won’t have to buy a new wardrobe or splurge on food out while you’re working either.
All the money you earn goes directly in your pocket so you can have more fun, pay off your student debt, and save more money.
You may even get to work more hours while still remaining a full-time student.
You Can Work Around Your Class Schedule and Studying
Working around your class schedule and study time is often the hardest part about landing a part-time job in college.
If you have multiple classes spread out during the day, you may not be able to squeeze in shifts at a typical job.
Even if you do have blocks of free time outside of class to work, you may find it hard to switch shifts when you need extra time for a huge project or paper worth half your grade.
Working a remote job is different.
Most positions will allow you to work when it’s most convenient or productive for you to do so.
So as long as you get your tasks done before the deadline, you can work part-time before your classes begin, during a rainy weekend, or in between lectures.
This flexibility gives you the power to allocate your time best with less stress.
You can pick up a few contract projects or work a steady part-time schedule remotely: the choice is all yours.
How to Find Remote Work as a Student
Now that you see all the signs you’re ready to work remotely, it’s time to make sure you know how to find your perfect remote job.
Follow these tips:
#1. Know When to Look
Companies tend to hire around specific times of the year. Make sure your cover letter and CV are ready to go during the best times to land a new job.
#2. Pay Attention to the Keywords and Tailor Your CV for Them
You don’t need a class in decoding remote job descriptions when you know the specific keywords to look for, including:
- Part-time
- Freelance or contract
- Entry-level
- Junior level
- Specialist or generalist
These keywords will show you which remote employers are looking for candidates without much experience or time (i.e., students or recent grads).
If you don’t hear back from a job you’re qualified for, you may not have conveyed all you have to offer to a hiring manager or decision-maker during the application process.
One of the secrets to becoming a standout remote candidate is tailoring your cover letter, resume, or Curriculum Vitae (CV) for each specific remote position you apply for.
So use the same keywords mentioned in the job ad to show you have what they’re looking for.
You’ll also want to save time and look for remote jobs in the right place.
#3. Use the Right Job Board
Giant job sites advertise thousands of positions, but you’ll need to weed through all the on-site gigs to find the handful of remote jobs available.
While your parents may have old-school myths about remote work, you now know all the reasons why you should be taking advantage of the virtual workspace at your fingertips.