College can be an expensive time and making some money on the side is essential for most students. What most college students don’t know is that you can work online(remotely) even with little previous experience in a specific field. There are many work from home jobs to choose from which are high paying, offer flexibility and opportunities to gain relevant work experience for most college students even before graduation. These jobs look far more impressive on a CV than casual hospitality or retail work and might even help with finding more permanent employment and a solid career later on.
Working from home (or in fact from anywhere if the job can be done online) is not only convenient but also offers an opportunity for more free time while college students can still pay the bills and cover any expenses such as tuition, rent or learning materials.
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12 Work from Home Jobs for College Students
1. Freelance Writer
Most college students will have experience with writing academic papers so working as a freelance writer won’t be a long learning process. Of course, a certain level of enjoyment for writing is necessary but with so many types of writing jobs to choose from there is something for everyone. You could work as a copywriter for short marketing texts, a ghostwriter for blogs or even novels, or an online journalist . The possibilities are endless, and even beginners can easily create a portfolio and then use platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr to find clients.
Finding a niche to focus on is highly recommended, and gathering experience will be a lot easier with this strategy. This is also a perfect job for college students that can be done remote, using collaboration tools like Google Docs and Office 365.
Sign up for Freelance Writing Jobs Mailing Lists, Upwork, Fiverr and other platforms
$7-$40 per hour depending on the type of work
2. Freelance Editor
Editing is somehow related to writing, and many freelancers like to combine the two. This is one of the best online jobs for college students as it builds experiences and will look great on a CV for future employers. Editors can do general jobs to correct grammar and wording but also more specific tasks such as SEO work or conceptual editing. Most entry-level editors will start out with very general projects to build up their portfolio before specialising and focusing on a more specific type of editing style.
Don’t underestimate how much work editing can be. Many college students will be surprised how time-consuming online editing work truly is, so be prepared for some late nights if you do decide to go for these types of work from home jobs.
$15-$35 per hour
3. Graphic Designer
Working from home as a graphic designer is a fantastic way to earn money for college students in the creative field. Some experience is needed, but looking into online courses is a great way to educate yourself and build your portfolio.
Many employers online are looking for young and upcoming graphic designers who can understand trends and the needs of modern companies. There are also great student deals for software programs such as Photoshop or InDesign to help you get started.
Yet another job that can be done from home or infact remotely if you are on holiday or are taking a break from your studies.
$20-$80 per hour
4. Web Developer
Web development is not something you learn overnight. Luckily college students can find a fantastic selection of resources online to help them land the best high paying jobs in the field. Platforms like Skillshare are an excellent resource for online courses which won’t break the bank. Take courses such as Web Development Fundamentals or the CSS Masterclass to help you get an introduction to the field and decide whether working as a web developer could be for you.
Tools like Wix or Squarespace are easy to use and don’t require advanced levels of coding knowledge. Even beginners can learn to design websites and build a portfolio, so make use of these platforms when you’re starting out.
Build a comprehensive portfolio and do some work for free to show off your skills
$20-$60 per hour
5. Audio Transcription and Video captions
College students looking to get into work from home jobs should definitely look into audio transcriptions, which are a great way to get started with no experience. Native speakers tend to be preferred for these online jobs, although college students can find work in many different languages depending on their own skills.
Just don’t take this job too lightly. It might be a bit more time-consuming than expected, but the income will be considerable if you work hard. With little technical knowledge required, this is the ideal introductory online job to try.
$7-$40 per hour depending on the type of work
6. Video Editing
Teaching yourself how to edit videos will take some time, but almost anyone can learn if they’re willing to commit to the project. Just keep in mind that this type of online remote work will require you to have software programs like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere, which can be expensive for college students. Skilled editors are always sought after, though, as most social media is moving towards producing video content.
$22-$60 per hour
7. Teaching English or a foreign language
While teaching English or a foreign language won’t be one of the most high paying online jobs for college students, it’s undoubtedly one of the most accessible ways to work remotely. Most companies require a language certificate such as TOEFL or IELTS in order to teach English. Acquiring these is an initial investment, but afterwards, jobs in the field will be reasonably easy to find. Teaching English online is also a fantastic way to travel and earn money at the same time. This side hustle is ideal for college students who want to work from the comfort of their home. You just need a good internet connection and good communications skills to work with your students.
Palfish, Preply, Open English and many more
 $8-$30 per hour
8. Translation
Experienced translators can have very high salaries, although entry-level jobs for college students without qualifications tend to be less lucrative. However, if you’re fluent in two or more languages, this is a great way to earn money online and build a reliable income source. As is the case with language teachers, college students might need some certificates to land high paying jobs, and a university degree is often an added bonus for employers looking to hire translators.
 $25-$100 per hour
9. Start a YouTube channel
If you’re a college student at the moment, chances are you grew up watching YouTube videos. The platform was once a great way to go viral overnight and build a loyal audience. While it’s a bit more difficult nowadays to become a professional YouTuber, it’s by no means impossible. If you work hard and consistently post, you’ll most likely be able to earn an income from making videos. Unique and entertaining content usually does best on YouTube, and it’s easy to monetise if the videos don’t contain any controversial topics or swear words. Depending on the topic of your channel, this might or might not be a work from home job. You might have to travel or interview people, so the only thing you’ll do at home will be the editing part. However, it’s worth a try, especially because it’s a free platform to use and monetize.
10. Virtual Assistant
This is definitely a college job you can do from home or in fact remotely from anywhere. Entry-level virtual assistant jobs require almost no experience and provide fantastic work experience for college students who want to get into admin work or any field in the business world. Hourly rates are very competitive, though, so don’t expect to earn a lot initially. However, the more specialist virtual assistants are, the higher the hourly rates will be. Areas of specialisation can include SEO, social media or even graphic design.
Fiverr, Assistant Match orClick Worker and Facebook Groups
$5-$38 per hour
11. Sell stuff on Amazon, Ebay or Facebook Marketplace
Offering services online is an excellent option for college students to earn money while working remotely. However, selling tangible products is also an option that shouldn’t be underestimated when it comes to making a side income. Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, Ebay or Etsy are all great platforms to sell both physical or digital products. Often times setting up a shop is quick and easy and won’t take a significant initial investment.
Look into printables, templates, children’s books, homemade products or second-hand clothing for great options to make a passive income. Recently, there has also been a trend of people trying drop-shipping, which involves selling products through a third-party vendor without having to keep any stock. This business model is easy to navigate and low-risk for those just starting out.
12. Customer service
It used to be that you had to go to an office to work in customer service niches such as call centres. With the internet, these jobs have become much more accessible and can now conveniently be done from home in most cases. Providing virtual support chats or email customer service is a high priority for most modern companies so there are always job vacancies in the field.
Many companies prefer young professionals or college students for these jobs as they are tech-savvy and won’t require much training. No need for expensive and time-consuming certificates or qualifications. You can get started in customer service with little to no experience as long as you don’t mind low initial hourly rates.
As long as you have a solid internet connection, this college job can be done either from home or remotely from your desired location.Â
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5 Steps How to Get a College Remote Job in 2021
Ask Yourself If A Remote Job Is Actually Right For You
Working from home or remotely from other locations is not actually a great fit for everyone. As a college student, you should ask yourself if you would enjoy to go into an office everyday and learn the ropes in person or if you are fine with getting all the mentoring and training on Zoom or Teams.
Determine What Really Motivates You at Work
No one will be looking over your shoulder telling you to do your job. With remote work, the only person telling you to work is you so you have to be a motivation and good time management skills.
Having a remote job is an amazing opportunity to live the lifestyle that you want while doing the work that you love. Just make sure it’s a fit for you personally before hitting the remote job boards.
Understand What Remote Employers Are Looking For
Most of remote employers are looking for two important things:Â trustworthy people and those that actually love their work so they do it right.Â
Micromanagement doesn’t work in remote companies very well so the remote employers who will give you this (college) job need to trust that you will do your job and create high-quality work.
Write Your Resume for a Remote Job Application
To land an interview for a remote job, your resume needs to be tailored to remote companies. Here are a few tips to put on your resume that’ll make it stand out:
- Talk about tools:Â List any software tools that you are familiar with using like: Slack, Salesforce, Basecamp, Trello, Harvest, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, Skype, Zoom, Zapier, and many more.
- Communication:  Your resume should talk about your communication skills and give examples on how you used them in your daily/previous jobs.Â
- Innovation or portfolio: If you have done something to innovate at work, put that on your resume. If you have a portfolio, make sure to show that too.
- Side projects:Â Talk about things you’ve build in the past if you have any. This shows you have iniative and are a self starter.Â
- Location: This may seem obvious, but if a remote job is location specific, make sure to mention your proximity to that location. For example, some jobs might be available in a certain US state or you have to be a resident of any US state, howeverÂ
- Results: If you have any hard numbers associated with your job, put those on the resume too. For example, if you have the marketing skills and you doubled traffic for another company, or you achieved something in another college job, then that’s good resume information.
- Autonomy Any time you worked with low or no supervision is valuable. Your ability to work autonomously is big, but you don’t need to have direct remote experience to work remotely.
Understand The Difference Between Partially vs. Fully Distributed Remote Teams
Most fully distributed companies have a good onboarding systems (and ongoing training programs) due to their experience in working that way.
Partially distributed companies have a main HQ and some of the workforce distrubuted over the world.
Expect to find some organisational issues in this type of companies, nevertheless you could still aim to get a college job there.
There are many partially distributed companies that have successfully integrated a remote workforce. You may want to ask about remote onboarding in the interview process and what kind of a “remote company” are they.Â
If the company indicates that their remote onboarding process is air-tight, you’ll be up to speed in no time.