How to Make More Than Minimum Wage as a Student
Making money as a high school student isn't easy. Your time is eaten up by school, chores and extracurricular activities. You likely don't have a great deal of experience in fields that provide more than minimum wage. In college, your schedule provides a little more flexibility to take on a job, but there are still many demands on your time. You may also continue to lack desirable job skills. But don't despair. Even as a student, there are many ways to make money above minimum wage.
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Instructions
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How to Get More Money
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Start your own business. This doesn't have to be as complicated as it sounds. If you have a few friends and you all share a skill or willingness to work hard, nothing is stopping you from charging whatever you want for what you do. Examples include lawn and garden work, child care -- which often pays a few dollars above minimum wage anyway, and dog-walking services.
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Share your skills. This is a step you can take whether or not you decide to make an official business of those skills. If you are particularly adept in one academic area, become a tutor to those who are not as proficient. You may want to teach valuable computer skills to the elderly: this is an area that comes easily to younger generations, but often gives older ones trouble. If you are a graduate student, you may even consider becoming a Teaching Assistant. This position has the enviable perk of offering reduced tuition at times, or a stipend to help offset college costs. Discuss this possibility with your career counselor, or by visiting your college career office.
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Advertise. This is a step you must take whether or not you make an official business of your skills. You can advertise informally, via word of mouth. Make sure that friends, family, and teachers know you have a certain skill set and are looking for work. Place an ad on free sites, such as Craigslist, or in your local paper, if you can afford it. Finally, at times nothing beats cheap fliers, tacked to every available surface, saying who you are and what you do.
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Tips & Warnings
Determine in advance what others are charging for similar services offered before advertising yours. You don't want to sell yourself short by charging too little. However, you don't want to scare potential customers away by making your prices too high, either.
References
- Photo Credit think! image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
