There are quite a few ways for students to earn money online, from live streaming to blogging to running your online store. Many students are also making money online by taking on part-time jobs as virtual assistants or becoming online tutors.
However, your ability to make money might be limited somewhat by your age and the ability to verify your identity. Some employers won’t hire students under the age of 18.
To make things even more complicated, many of the most popular payment platforms that handle third-party payments, such as PayPal or Payoneer, won’t allow anyone below 18 to have an account. This leaves your employer with a dilemma about how to pay you.
If you are a college student over the age of 18, you have the best chance of finding opportunities that allow you to have a part-time job without leaving the house. There are many ways to make steady extra cash streams by running your own online business.
How to Get An Online Job
Before you consider searching for an online job, students must have certain equipment and programs, such as Microsoft Word or Google Drive. In general, the more hardware and software you have access to, the more flexible your options will be for the part-time job you want.
It is also crucial that you have privacy, especially if you get a job as a transcriptionist, customer service agent, or virtual assistant. This is also important if you broadcast YouTube videos or work with sensitive information.
Essential Hardware for Online Jobs
Most students have the basics needed to get an online job, especially if they are in college. It generally requires a computer or laptop that has an updated OS with a word processing program.
It is also crucial to have a solid keyboard and mouse, earphones, and high-quality headphones. The headphones may be useful to hold private phone calls with clients and block out any sounds from a noisy dorm.
Another useful item to have on hand is a printer that is also a scanner. This is particularly useful for proofreading documents if you land a job as a freelance editor or online tutor.
Familiarity with OS and Applications
To make money online, you need to know what kind of computer you have, how the operating system works, and how to work your downloaded applications. In many cases, potential clients will ask you to download their applications, which often include such programs as Grammarly, Trello, or Loom.
You also should update your browsers regularly and that you have the latest versions of MS Word, Google Office, Skype and Zoom downloaded,
Other applications for making money include Blogger and WordPress for bloggers and a painting program if you are an illustrator.
If you make money online selling photographs, you will also need a program like Adobe Photoshop. Bloggers can also benefit from accessing the royalty-free images found on Pixabay and Flickr.
Essential Skills for Working Online
In general online employers will not hire anyone who is digitally illiterate. In fact, many of the bigger platforms, such as Upwork and Guru, require you to take tests to measure such skills as typing speed, editing skills, and understanding of how their freelance platforms work.
Working online without a steady, reliable internet connection is also incredibly difficult. Some students think that they can get away with working in a cafe with Wifi.
However, public Wifi is just not that reliable and could cause you to miss shifts and deadlines. Therefore, it is better to purchase the best internet service you can afford and work from home if possible.
Are You Old Enough to Work Online Jobs?
In the United Kingdom, certain laws make it difficult for students younger than 18 to work online.
This is a tough law to work around because banks, third-party payment platforms, and many freelance job sites require proof of identification before you can register as a member. Unfortunately, this means waiting until you are 18 before you can earn money online for many students.
Where to Find Online Jobs for Students
There are very few online jobs for high school students other than off-the-cuff data entry or customer service jobs simply because it is difficult to pay a youngster in the UK. This is because you have to be over 18 to be on Paypal or have a bank account.
Online jobs for college students can often be found in the first place you look – right on the website of the educational institution that you are attending.
You could find yourself in demand as a freelancer on campus or suddenly hired for a lucrative part-time job by the university, as most tutoring, writing, and editorial work is posted online anyway.
The local and online classifieds are also great places for students to find a job. Try searching job categories such as only surveys, virtual assistant, social media management, graphic designer, and freelance writing jobs to earn cash.
Fun Ways to Make Money Online
Here are some ways to make extra money that are not too stressful. However, don’t expect to make a living performing any of these online tasks.
Taking Online Surveys
Would you like to be paid for your opinion? That is exactly what happens when a market research company asks you to fill out a survey. The only issue is that you might have to wait 30 days or until you meet a payment threshold before you are paid.
Filling out surveys is appealing because you can manage your own schedule, which is necessary for a student with a heavy course load.
The initial experience of filling out all of the forms on a survey site can be discouraging, but if you stick with it, you can begin to make a bit of cash.
Your ability to work fast and flip quickly to different windows in your browser might determine how much pocket money you can make by filling out surveys.
Live Streaming Video Game Play
If you are an expert online gamer, you can easily make money by showing off your skills on Twitch or Streamlabs. Many students who have mastered popular video games such as Grand Theft Auto can make extra pocket money this way.
Using the same technology as a live podcast, you can ask people who admire your gaming style to become your fan, subscribe to your page, and donate to you.
Freelance Jobs for Students
If you want to be your own boss without all of the hassles of running a business, consider becoming a freelancer. Freelance sites such as Upwork or Guru are a good place to start if you want to find simple work for extra cash.
Data Entry Jobs
Getting a data entry gig is relatively easy for most people. You can easily Google “data entry jobs” into a search engine and find jobs.
Data entry jobs are also very common in-house jobs offered to students on campus. This gig only requires that you be a rapid typist and have a good eye for spotting typos.
Transcription
Transcriptionist pay is typically very low, possibly because it is often outsourced and also because it is the desired position. It is the kind of job sought after because it allows people to choose their own hours.
To set yourself up in the transcription business, be sure to set yourself up with a good keyboard and an excellent set of headphones to quickly and accurately reproduce what your client is saying.
Freelance Writer
You have to have quite a few freelance writing jobs on your plate at once to make any money. This is because this type of remote work has become very competitive, and wages are lower.
If you are a student with a heavy course load who is obligated to do a lot of writing as part of your course, then taking on freelance writing jobs may be too much for you.
Still, if you are a competent writer, you will be able to find all sorts of positions for ghostwriters, copywriters, bloggers, and social media management online.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers are more in demand than ever, thanks to the growing presence of people doing business online.
If you are an art student, pursuing this type of work can be ideal for you. In addition, depending on what kind of graphics are desired, it can pay quite nicely.
You can find work as a graphic designer on sites like Upwork and Fivver.
Animators
If you have animation skills, be prepared to make enough money to retire by age 30.
Animators are in exceptional demand due to the explosion of how-to videos and historical videos being written and published on YouTube. Very few people have this particular skill.
A simple website describing what you do should bring work to you, or you can create a profile offering your services on sites like Fiverr or AngelList.
Genuine Online Jobs for Students
A genuine online job gives you enough hours to qualify as a part-time job, and that pays you enough to still have the time and energy to focus on your studies.
Translation
If you are majoring in linguistics or languages, you could find a very lucrative part-time position as a translator. Business is global nowadays, so people who can help members from different cultures communicate with each other are very much in demand.
The jobs that pay the highest are the ones that have you attending live Zoom or Skype meetings to translate what people are saying.
Tutoring
If you have an area of expertise and are a few years ahead of others in your studies, it is easy to make a generous income as a tutor, particularly if you are teaching ESL.
Virtual Assistant Jobs
The ultimate online job that is most like a real job is that of a virtual assistant. It is almost identical to being a part-time administrative assistant in a real office but with lower pay.
Everyone from small business owners to large corporations is seeking competent virtual assistants to give their customer service departments a more personal touch.
This type of job does require a set schedule, which means less freedom, but usually, the pay is higher than most other online part-time positions.
Sell T-Shirts
Student life can involve activism, sports, and causes, so starting a business that sells t-shirts is quite easy to do online. There are hundreds of print-on-demand sites that enable you to open your store.
These sites use online graphic design apps to allow you to place your own images or logos on a T-shirt. Often you can do the same on hats, buttons, totes, cell phone covers, and other items.
You set the price on the goods, and then the print-on-demand service takes care of the sizing, printing, and shipping of the products to your customers.
Creative Jobs for Students
If you are in the arts, be aware that those who create books and podcasts and sell art online can be subject to sudden windfalls from appreciative fans.
However, you should also be aware that making money this way can take a little longer as how much you make is basically determined by views or clicks.
Earn Money Blogging
Students who are aspiring journalists or creative writers can make a great deal of money blogging as long as they are willing to wait the three months it takes for search engines to crawl their content and bring visitors to their site.
There are many different ways to monetize blogs, including sourcing online and offline ads, embedding affiliate marketing links, and soliciting donations from Patreon.
Earn Money Broadcasting
If you are talented in any way or have something to say, consider making a living as a broadcaster. Invest in a good web camera and microphone, and you are good to go.
Whether you are doing a radio show on SoundCloud or broadcasting live on Facebook or Youtube, this is an excellent way of earning money online, as long as you are willing to wait a few months or even a few years to reap the rewards from ads, subscriptions, and Patreon donations.
Publish Your Books Online
Selling books online on sites such as Amazon can result in a sudden windfall that could have you set for life, so becoming a self-publisher is certainly worth a shot.
If you are a non-fiction writer, try writing a how-to book in your area of expertise. If you are a creative writer, try your hand at selling mystery, science fiction, or romantic fiction, as those genres sell well for authors who self-publish.
You can also cut out the middle man and sell your own books on your website. This is only recommended if you have a heavy social media presence to support the promotion of your book.
Sell Your Photography or Art
Selling visual content online can be a great way to make a passive income that supports you for years. This type of creative business entails that you open up an online gallery or shop.
In some situations, you make money by selling original works outright, and in others, you sell some form of a copyright license to earn income. On sites like Pixabay, you can ask that people donate to use your images.
Final Words of Advice
Students seeking work online should make sure that they qualify to earn income in this way, as it is all too easy to take on a job, then discover you are too young to be paid.
Keep in mind that working online jobs does not necessarily mean that you have more free time. To make more than just pocket money online requires hours of effort and focus, especially if you want to make enough to pay off any loans for your college education.
