6 WFH jobs every busy student can take up

The ideal student part-time jobs give you plenty of time to balance university and social life.

Not all jobs give you this option. While most student part-time jobs are starting to become more flexible, just as many require you to work a set number of hours per week. 

The shift to online jobs has been a welcome change in this regard. With these, we can pick and choose how we manage our time, giving us the chance to pursue other interests.

It’s an easier way to make some extra cash without sacrificing your grades or other aspects of university life. 

As an international student, it’s important to check if your visa allows for any work from home opportunities first.

In most countries such as the US, UK and Canada, an international student’s working schedule is usually capped at 20 hours per week and certain types of work.

If all goes well, these are some student part-time jobs you can consider doing from your room: 

6 best online student part-time jobs

For most of these jobs, all you’ll need is your laptop. Source: Rohan Thomson/AFP

Tutoring 

Tutoring is a classic part-time job that many students cam do. This is because it allows you to use the knowledge you’ve gained at university to help other students.

By teaching others, you become better at the subject as well — all whilst making some money. 

Online tutoring is relatively easy to set up. Most students do this on an ad hoc basis — offering to tutor their classmates in subjects they excel at. Others approach their student union and ask if any tutoring services are already set up and if they’d be eligible to join. 

Either way, you’ll benefit from being able to study and work at the same time — a great way to improve your grades in the long run. 

Freelance writing

If you have a talent for writing, it’s a great idea to consider offering your services on a freelance basis.

There are many businesses and individuals out there who need write-ups or other types of written content. These might be for their websites, email newsletters, short blurbs on their websites, or others. 

Struggling to find work? Try a freelance website or app. Upwork and Fiverr offer great options if you want to start freelance work.

The best part? You’ll be able to set your own prices for your services and accept work as and when is suitable for you. 

The best thing about online part-time jobs is that you can do it anywhere in the world. Source: AFP

Managing social media

Do you like scrolling through your social media feed? Maybe you’re searching for ways to refine your audience on social media or understand how its algorithms work.

Either way, finding a job in social media is a great way to learn. 

Not sure where to find a job in social media? Try approaching your student union or careers centre.

They might be advertising openings for local businesses or, if they aren’t, they’d be able to point you towards where you can look. 

If all else fails, try approaching any local restaurants or businesses in your area. Chances are they’d be happy to take you on if you show enough determination, passion, and commitment to advancing their goals. 

Freelance web designing 

Part of your degree might require you to learn how to code. Or maybe you enjoy designing websites in your free time. In any case, you could monetise your skills by offering them up on a freelance basis. 

There are many businesses, influencers, and services out there that are looking to build their audience — and that starts with establishing their brand. One of the key ways to do this is by setting up a website.

In this, they might be looking for less expensive web designers to start off with. That’s where you come in. It might be worthwhile to offer your services at a lower cost while you establish yourself, but once you’ve built an adequate portfolio, you can consider raising your prices.

Negotiating is essential for this. Again, Fiverr and Upwork are great places to look for freelance work.

Fiverr and Upwork are great places to start looking for gigs, but you can also approach your student centre — which might be looking to revamp its website, too. 

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers speaking with interpreter Will Ireton. If you want to move out of online work, interpreting is a readily available option for you to check out. Source: AFP

Translation

As an international student, you probably have an extra language or two up your sleeve. Take advantage of that and pick up some translation jobs.

Because of internationalisation, many individuals and businesses are trying to reach a wider audience. To do this, they’re doing their best to localise their content to make it more relatable to specific audiences.

That’s where you, the target audience, come into play.

Of course, fluency in the language you’re translating to and from is necessary. Some employers might even want proof of your proficiency, so an official test or two might be required. But once you have that part down, you’re on the right track to snagging a job on the market.

Data entry

When talking about online part-time jobs, it’s hard not to bring up data entry. Here, you’ll be undertaking the clerical work of inputting data into computers and databases — not something super exciting, but definitely something that you can lock in and get it done when you’re in the zone.

The best part about this job? You’re not limited to any industry — everyone and every business needs some form of data entry work done, so you’ll have a host of projects ready for you to check out.

One key aspect of data entry is attention to detail. Typos or mistakes aren’t a good look, especially if you’re dealing with numbers that can drastically change a business’s trajectory.

Another good skill to have is simply being able to type fast. Since you could be paid by project, keystrokes per minute, keystrokes per word, keystrokes per hour or receive an hourly wage — the faster you do it, the faster you can get paid.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on August 29, 2024.