When winter break rolls around, high school and college students may find themselves wanting to make some extra cash before the spring semester. You can use this money for holiday gifts, savings, or just your overall living expenses. Students may find it difficult to get hired for a short period, but there are plenty of jobs out there! Here are some of the best ways for college students to make money over winter break.
How to Make Money Over Winter Break
1. Babysitting or Pet Sitting
One of the easiest ways to make quick cash over winter break is by watching people’s kids or pets. Especially during the holidays, parents need extra time to get things done. Whether they’re shopping for gifts or food, or just need some time for themselves, a babysitter can be a huge help. The hours are flexible and you can often find families who need someone. You can even offer to babysit for a group during holiday parties. Pet Sitting is a great option for families who are going out of town for short vacations and can’t bring their pets with them. Having someone reliable to take care of their fur babies will help them relax more while they’re out of town.
2. Work in Retail
During winter break, retail stores start to hire seasonal workers. Stores are much busier during the holiday season, so they can always use the extra help. You can apply for many different stores and chances are, you will get hired quickly because of the holiday rush. Since the jobs are usually seasonal anyway, they’ll be easier to leave once you go back to college.
3. Become a Freelancer
If you have a niche set of skills, you can sell them online! Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr allow you to create a profile with the services you are willing to sell. These job boards are especially popular for freelance writers. You can create logos, brand designs, blog posts, and many other things to make some extra money. What’s so great about this job is that you can do it any time of the year to create another form of income.
4. Write People’s Resumes
If you’re great with words, you can edit people’s resumes for money. Most people don’t have the right formatting and wording on their resumes, which can prevent them from getting interviewed or hired. If you’re good at updating resumes, this will be a quick and easy way to make money over winter break, and even throughout college.
5. Work in a Restaurant
Restaurants are extra busy during the holiday season, which is why they are likely to post seasonal jobs, just like retail stores. You can serve tables, become a host, or be a part of the kitchen staff at your local restaurants. Places like ice cream shops and local coffee shops will also need an extra hand during this busy time. The money is super quick and oftentimes you can take your tips home that night or the following day. Once winter break is over, you can leave easily since it will be a seasonal position.
6. Apply for Scholarships
FIND SCHOLARSHIPSThough applying for scholarships is not considered a job, it’s still a great way to make money over winter break. There are hundreds of thousands of scholarships available for students and the best part is you don’t have to pay them back! You can apply for as many scholarships as you want as long as you’re eligible for them. You’ll probably hear back the following semester for the rewards you can use over the summer or the following fall semester. Use College Raptor’s scholarship search tool to find all the scholarships you can apply for!
7. Sell Your Unwanted Possessions
When you come back home during winter break, look through your closet and around your room for things you no longer need or wear. While you’re in college, you realize how little you need, so selling your unwanted items is the perfect way to make some extra money. It’ll be quick and you’ll also declutter your space at the same time. You can post them online and offer to ship them for a small fee. It’s a real win-win situation.
8. Pick Up Extra Hours at Work
If you already have a part-time job throughout college, you can ask your manager for some extra hours since your availability has changed. Oftentimes, they’ll approve this change in availability so you won’t have to pick up another job. It’ll be much easier than getting a new job since you won’t have to go through training again.
9. House Sitting
When people go out of town for the holidays, they usually don’t like to leave their homes empty. You can watch someone’s home while they’re away on vacation! You’ll most likely water their plants, check their mail, watch their pets, and maybe do some other small tasks.
10. Become a Driver
Do you have your driver’s license and a clean driving record? If so, becoming a driver is the perfect winter break job for you! Choose between food delivery services (like DoorDash), taxi services, and even grocery store delivery services. Having a personal shopper for a variety of products is super convenient for those busy people during the winter months. Being a driver is also great since you can choose your hours and which rides you want to pick up.
Take advantage of your winter break and find some ways to make extra money to use next semester. You can easily do one, or a few, of these different jobs while you’re out of college for a few weeks. We suggest talking about payment with your employer before you start working, especially if you’ll be receiving cash like you would with babysitting jobs. No matter what you choose, be sure to enjoy your winter break!
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