Wise Startup Blog

Too many people in college neglect getting a part time job. Unless you are a double major in Chemistry and Aerospace Engineering, you probably have enough time to devote 5-10 hours per week to a part time job.

A job will reflect highly on you when future employers review your college history. If your GPA isn’t as good as it should be, then employers may show you some clemency when it comes to your grades. And if your GPA is very strong, a job shows that you are able to balance school and work responsibilities.

When I talk about a job, I don’t mean working at the local McDonald’s. Try to get a job working in an area that interests you. If you are a Chemistry major, try to get a job as a lab assistant. If you are an English major, get a job at a bookstore. You want to get a job that you will enjoy, and will also reflect highly of you on your resume.

If you can’t seem to find a job that suits your needs in your area of study, considering volunteering. If your local lab isn’t hiring anyone for the semester, ask if you can volunteer for a couple hours a week until something opens up. The $6/hr isn’t what’s important, it’s the experience and connections you make by working in a meaningful job.

For those of you who need to work to pay for school expenses and tuition, and already have a job I commend you! I have a number of jobs, and am always looking for ways to make money. In your current job, try to think of ways to earn more money. Perhaps picking up the weekend shift or working for some overtime.

If you are already overextending yourself at your current job, think about other job opportunities for yourself. You need to create annuities for yourself. Small investments of time into a job that will yield a steady stream of income payments. I’ve read a number of articles where the authors discuss making money without doing anything.

I sell items on eBay, and currently have a pretty streamlined system. I don’t have to extend that much additional time into developing the business, so now I can focus on other areas of income opportunity.

Consider selling your note-taking services. A number of disabled students and just plain lazy students wouldn’t mind paying someone to take notes for them. If you are already taking notes for a class, it doesn’t require that much more effort to type them up and send them out to clients. Once you develop a reputation and a small pool of customers, your business can quickly grow via referrals.

Whatever you are doing now, you most likely have some spare time that you can contribute to a part-time job. Make sure that the job you select is relevant to your major, and would be beneficial on your resume (no Hooters). While it’s great to have some extra cash, don’t always focus on the money. The experience and contacts is what’s important, so be sure to use them to your advantage. For those of you who already have jobs, look into developing annuities that will allow your money to work for you.

Good luck and happy job hunting!

Please be sure to leave some comments, I’m very eager to hear from you!