7 Best Summer Jobs for Students

Summary: As a student, your class load might limit your availability to work in summer jobs, but summer jobs offer career building opportunities or a refreshing change of pace. Check out these 7 summer job ideas for students.

1) Paid Internship

You are already investing tens of thousands of dollars on your education. Why not give yourself that extra boost towards that perfect post-college career with a summer internship? Since the pay probably will be pretty poor, just remind yourself that this is a chance to get your name out there, to meet and network with people in your future career, and to build your resume.

2) Tutor for Summer Classes

Tutoring is a great opportunity if you plan to stick around in your college town, especially as an upperclassman or if you just got an easy A in a class when others were struggling. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it, so a tutoring job might actually help you in your coursework. You could work for the school or for a local tutoring company, but you stand to make higher hourly wages if you do your own marketing and offer your services independently.

3) On-Campus Jobs

Even during summer semester, there are a handful of jobs on campus. Your school probably has jobs in campus food service, phone reception, and clerical work for various departments.  If you plan to stay around campus for the summer, check with your college’s financial aid office for job listings and work study options. Just note, you will need to have applied for FAFSA to be considered for a work study job.

4) International Nanny / Au Pair

If the first thing you want after Spring finals is to be on a jet to a foreign country, check out summer job opportunities as an international live-in nanny or au pair. What can be better than experiencing foreign culture from an insider’s perspective with free room and board? There are several reputable companies that connect host families with an au pair and help to sort out the legalities of working in a foreign country.

5) Work from Home

There are plenty of options for work at home jobs that are perfect for students. If you value your summer freedom, but you still need to earn some cash, a work from home job could allow you to set your own hours and decide how much you need to work. The internet continues to expand the possibilities in work at home options, such as this home writing job on Granted.com for lovewritingathome.

6) Non-Profit Jobs

Another way to build your resume is to work in a non-profit job related to your major. There are plenty of jobs available across a wide variety of categories. Remember, non-profit does not necessarily mean non-paid. Start your search on Granted.com in the Entry Level Non-Profit Jobs category.

7) Work Outdoors

If nine months spent indoors taking classes and studying has you feeling like a pale, lifeless zombie, get some sun and fresh air with an outdoor job. You could make some decent money working in construction or landscaping while recharging for the next semester of living in the library.

Especially if you haven’t quite decided on a major or a career path, a summer job can be your chance to try out a variety of fields, with a different one each year. Whatever you decide to do for the summer, just make sure to apply early before the semester is over to beat the rush of everyone else trying to apply for the small handful of jobs that are still available.

Now, what are you waiting for? Quit procrastinating and snag that ideal summer job.