Side Jobs For Extra Income: Job Ideas

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Ok, now that I’ve listed my previous college jobs, now to list some ideas for current college jobs. Suggestions are welcome. The key difference here is I’m not just looking to eat and score beer money. I want to “move forward”, and get skills that will help me achieve what I want in the future. These include computer skills, networking, and business knowledge. At the same time, it has to have flexible hours. Here are my Saturday-morning brainstorms:

1) Start more blogs/websites – Websites seem to be the new virtual real estate. However, I have been really bad at updating my only other blog, MyHealthBlog. I might try this later, but I don’t feel it really helps me learn that much more unless it is already in an area I like.

2) Start my own business – The dog toy idea is still coming along, albeit slowly. I don’t see it as a large money making venture due to time costs. Other ideas include doing local website design. One thing missing – I’m not good at it, yet. I do have a lot of ideas though.

3) Part-time professional job – I have enough coursework to try and get a very basic position in my chosen field of computers, and I already have a technical degree. It would be hard to find a position that works well around my classes, but there would be the potential to learn a lot of new things.

4) Join an Entreprenurial Student Society – This may not make me money right away, but learning business ideas is something I am very interested in. I think hanging around other driven students would be cool, and we could try to think up the next Flickr or Friendster idea.

5) Learn more about real estate – I think learning more about real estate and how things work will also help me in the future. I could train to become an appraiser or other related job.

6) Join a small business – Start-ups usually take 120 hours a week, but perhaps joining a smaller business just to learn the ropes of accounting, marketing, and dealing with vendors and customers for a small biz would be neat. I wish I asked to learn more while working for those mom and pop shops before.

Just for the money ideas:

A) GRE/SAT Prep Tutoring – I have high test scores, and have experience teaching. This area pays very well, $30-$40 an hour at many places. However, this is really boring to me. Teaching standardized tests is painful.

B) Private Tutoring – I feel like I’ve already gotten all I can from tutoring, but I could try to branch out and tutor the classes I’ve last two terms.

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Comments

  1. This new Mechanical Turk is a very interesting concept. It is s good way to make a few bucks (from what I?ve read).

    http://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

  2. Ahh, I see you already post about it…sorry. (always search first) 🙂

  3. How about combining #2 with A or B. I learned a long time ago, as a one man show, you can only make so much money by yourself. They key is to get other people working for you.

    How about managing a group of tutors? You schedule, screen, etc. Be a matchmaker. A good way to get some expereince in business.

  4. I think your part time real estate appraiser idea is good or even better maybe start you own small property management company that caters to a local college area or something. With all these people buying real estate for investments, I think there is a lot of opportunity to sign them up with an affordable property management company. Especially after they start getting the 2am calls from tenants.

  5. I like your site. I do have a question, however: I think you write that you would like to save $100,000 to put as a downpayment on a house.

    Why would you do that? I mean, why not put little or nothing down for your home, take the extra money you would have used on a downpayment and invest it somewhere else?

    Considering that mortgage rates are still low and you can deduct your interest on your home, wouldn’t that $100,000 be better served in a Mutual Fund at Vanguard that may get you between 5% to 10%?

    I am a real estate appraiser and I come in contact with investors of Real Estate on a daily basis. Most “successful” investors I know mostly put nothing down if they can.

    I am not trying to tell you what to do, I am just honestly wondering if you have an outlook that is different than mine with respect to downpayments on homes.

    Nice blog.

  6. Wes – Interesting idea, I’d need to meet a lot more tutors to pull that off.

    2mil – That’s also a good idea, I’ve dealt with horrible property management companies, and great companies. It would be great to get some experience in that area.

    Justin – That’s a good question. I’ve been wrestling with that a bit myself, mostly because I think do believe the economy is stronger and the market will have a run.

    Basically I just wanted to avoid PMI, and not be in over my head. I know you can do 80/10/10 or 75/15/10 mortgages too, with higher interest rates. It was also a nice round number, and if I only get to, say, $60k, then I could just use that. There are also all those other incidentals that come along with buying a house that I want to be ready for. But overall it is definitely something I will want to look into further.

  7. 2mil: I think it depends on if you’re putting money down for investment or for your own home. When investing, of course you want leverage and should use maximum OPM (other people’s money). For your own home I personally think you should put as much down as you can.

    I think too many people only look at the monthly mortgage payment when buying a home. They decide “yes I can afford that payment” or “no, I’ll be in over my head”.

    Every intelligent car buyer knows better! When buying a car, the salesman begins by asking how much you can afford to pay each month. The “sucker” consumer puts down as littles as possible, gets a monthly payment they can barely afford, and a car they don’t need. Then there’s upkeep, taxes, etc.

    I don’t understand why more people don’t apply the same philosphy to buying a home… buy what you the house you NEED, not the mortgage you can afford!

    Aplogies if this sounds like a rant.

    Wes

  8. I am starting a new t-shirt buisness and I am looking for Art students,or any student with skills. I need someone to bring my ideas to life.Each piece will be paid a good commission “CASH”. At present time I have over 40 concepts that need art work.If you know anyone anywhere that may be interested please contact me. RKMartin at:(justasur@live.com) (801-394-0867)/2821 Porter Ave.Ogden,Ut.84403

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