25 Online Jobs For College Students Without Investment
Maybe knowing that the person who is writing this article is also a college student who earns some money from online jobs, might make you stay to read this amazing piece.
This article means quite a lot to me and I intend to make it as comprehensive as possible. I am a student and I completely understand the frequent financial drought that usually plagues the lives of students.
As a college student, if you have to work and study, you would have to work regular jobs like a sales rep in a store, a waiter at a coffee shop, or even as a cashier at a supermarket to earn that extra money to add to the allowance from your parents.
Well, the internet especially social media, has many positive effects on students.
Many opportunities have been opened up for students who are seeking to earn money while they find out who they really are in college. Do not get me wrong, even high school, in fact, smart elementary school students can also work from home while being a little bit independent of their parents.
Personally, as a student, I hate having to ask my mum for money to sort out every of my financial need.
I do not feel this pressure to abandon school to start chasing money, however, my ego screams in pain every time I ask my mom for money to buy personal things.
As an adult that still enjoys some privileges from my parents, I learnt a lot of things concerning respect and how to earn it. I noticed that after I stopped calling frequently to ask my parents for allowance, they called to ask me how I was coping in school.
I told them I work partially while studying then noticed that my father respected me more like someone that makes his own money. Everything changed & it changed for the better.
With all I have said up there, you must be eager to learn about these jobs you can do without even having to leave your hostel or dorm.
So my dear reader, put your seat belt on because I am about to take you on an amazing world of internet jobs you can do without having to leave your home, school, or even your dorm room and still earn a substantial amount of money.
1. Data Entry Analyst
The good thing about this online job is that it requires very little training or experience, so you won’t have to abandon your academics. It is a perfect choice for young students or freelancers who are new to the online environment and probably have no actual skillset yet.
If you are more interested in data entry jobs, precisely remote data entry jobs, and if you wish to enjoy the freedom of staying at home and working and earning, you can get in touch with industry experts to help you in this situation.
Remote data-entry jobs are like entering data from a particular source into your computer and compiling the information for your client. And for that, you need skills such as speed typing and attention to detail are required for online data entry jobs.
Due to the one-dimensional nature of the job, it is very competitive as it is the first level for new online job hunters who want to know what it is like to be productive while working from home.
However, it would be bad of me not to tell you that this job doesn’t pay the kind of cheque that will buy you those new Balenciaga sneakers, or that new Louis Vuitton shirt you have been eyeing for weeks.
However, this online job still pays enough to give you an independent and comfortable life in school to afford things like food or pay for your faculty or association dues. A data analyst analyses data for people online and gets paid for their services.
2. Freelance Writer
Why not start from my own job yeah? I started writing articles in the 11th grade and I wasn’t getting paid. However, things took a positive turn when I started getting paid gigs and I was so excited when I received my first 1,000 naira payment, which is about $4.
It was small for a young writer with passion, but it was really something. I was consistent and I started bagging $15 gigs in college, a student with no major responsibilities and residing parents. It was enough for me to keep writing from the heart.
The technicalities of this particular online job are a little more sophisticated compared to the job of a data entry analyst.
This does not mean that the jobs listed in this article will be tougher as you scroll down. The points were just listed randomly.
However, it is true what I said about writing needing a little bit more skill. Let’s face it. You can’t just pick up a pen or open your word processor and start writing or typing away. Some proficiency in English or whatever language you want to write is needed. You need some experience writing articles for a large audience, and some good marketing skills.
If I could do it, trust me, you can. Just start writing to build a wonderful portfolio to secure bigger and better-paying jobs. Writing is a talent but it is also a skill that can be learnt. Don’t listen to people that tell you that you have to be born with golden hands to write epic literature.
No great writer was suddenly able to write wonderful literature without having to go through some developments.
I remember when I first started developing an interest in writing; I was writing everything from poems to drama to fiction novels and articles. After I was sure I could write fairly well, I decided to make money from my newly found skill.
I was in my freshman year when I started sending out my resume with practically no experience to blogs, entertainment and business websites.
I remember one day vividly. It was the day I was given my first gig, and also the day my self-confidence was brought down significantly. I was rejected by BellaNaija who asked me to try to develop my craft before even applying again.
That was a turning point for me especially when it comes to my writing.
I tried to improve and I even began taking online courses but I was fired from my new gig in less than a month. My severance package was pathetic and; that was a real eye-opener for me because I knew then and there that writing was a craft that needed to be developed constantly.
I went back to the drawing board during my second semester as a freshman and began to write randomly. It was crazy that I was writing over five thousand words per day and my dad became worried because of my ongoing Engineering studies, but I was writing all day – seven days in a row. I guess the idea of working smarter and not harder which I had learnt early in life paid off because I finally secured three part-time gigs and I am literally financially stable now.
I was even able to get my mom a fairly expensive shoe for her 50th birthday ;-).
3. Graphic Designer
I was never an artistic person so this was quite out of the question for me. However, it might be an online job that suits you very well. I mean if you are a college student that appreciates art, this is a modern way to make money from it without having to leave your dorm room.
Nowadays, people who are good at creating graphical content are also quite good at using computers.
When it comes to profitability, I have a friend who earns more than one hundred thousand nairas per month by building a brand for businesses. He creates logos and graphical content for new and existing companies.
Just like writing, graphic design can also be learnt even if you don’t have any drawing or art experience.
Do you know what is more intriguing about this online job, you can actually turn graphic designing into a career path. I mean a full-time job you can go into when you leave school. As long as you’ve built a substantial clientele, you can turn your small one-man hustle into a company. Then expand by employing other graphic designers like yourself.
It might sound pretty much like a long shot but it’s not. You can start small but keep thinking big. Do not relax or become complacent when the money you are making from your jobs starts paying recurrent expenses.
This is a mistake that many entrepreneurs and online freelancers make when they start becoming too comfortable in a position.
They are afraid of learning how to improve business performance which allows other new businesses to overtake them.
If you have experience with Adobe creative suite, illustrator, or even Photoshop, you can turn to the Internet for jobs. There is a rumour going around that this market is already saturated, but that is untrue.
More creative graphic designers are needed. The key to standing out well is uniqueness and creativity. Once people know you for a particular style, you will start getting a steady stream of customers.
4. Social Media Managers/Influencers
This became popular after social media applications released a slightly complicated algorithm for choosing which content gets seen.
Generally, quality content will always get an audience. However, if you want to promote an event or brand, there is a lot of work to do. You might need to analyse and study the target market. Improving social media presence involves creating suitable content to trend in an environment where users are interacting with certain types of content.
For this reason, brands prefer to leave social media campaigns to professionals that plan a successful social media campaign.
However, not every social media campaign end successfully, especially when they are handled by people who have little or no knowledge of how the media works. So, good knowledge of the job is important. Nevertheless, if you are one that likes to try new things and strategies for problem-solving, this is a suitable job for you.
I tried this particular niche but my pitch didn’t fly. Let me paint a picture of the perfect individual for this job. A social media genius with a thousand followers on Twitter and Instagram plus some marketing and writing skills. You can still try if you don’t match that description.
Some topics trend naturally. Although others need that deliberate extra push to get that subject matter out there and have everyone talk about it.
5. Resume Writer
The name pretty much explains the job. A resume is what introduces you to your interviewer before or during an interview process. Having a good resume is part of interview preparation tips.
A resume writer is an individual that helps to build a resume. It’s almost like making someone look good enough for a particular job.
Some people are too busy in college to write a nice resume, or just don’t know how to write one. This is where you can come in as a resume writer to help do the job.
There are different standards of resumes and you have to keep up with the ever-changing accepted standards.
Do you have an interest in becoming a resume writer? You can start by checking up on recent resume samples. Then, come up with your unique concept. As a person in the field of writing, I have come in contact with some really good resume writers that charge above minimum wage per hour.
I won’t say it is a job for married folks or people with a large family, but it is a good job for college students or singles who are just looking for a comfortable means to make money while they wait for what may be a better job.
6. Copywriting
Copywriting requires a little more training than the other two kinds of writing above. It is like a TV commercial but in text, you can’t get an explanation better than this, to be honest.
Making TV commercials isn’t easy. It takes a lot of planning and consumer-persuasive content to curate that 4-minute commercial that you love so much. However, the written content isn’t as easy as video content.
In order to create a persuasive written text that will channel buyers to a business website, you have to learn the art of copywriting.
There is a big market for copywriting and I know people who charge more than 10,000 naira for a copy.
You can certainly turn this one into a job with the right portfolio and network.
You could train your kids, pay college fees, buy a car, and afford a mortgage. The hard part is building a network of customers. However, you can learn how to grow your small business with marketing.
Once you get to the top of the food chain, you can even start hiring people to write for you. Start looking out for copywriting jobs. As a beginner, you can start earning small bucks here until they build their own customer base.
7. Research Studies
Everyone knows that research studies are conducted in different colleges around the world. Certainly, there must be some sort of research being conducted in your school or even your department.
Some research studies won’t pay, while some will. It all depends on the risk or budget of the department.
Online research can pay some bills in school so you should definitely take this one seriously.
8. Teach English Online
If you are a native English speaker, your language can be a good way for you to help yourself financially while in school. You can actually teach people the English language online and get paid for it. You can create your profile on Senploy to find some teaching jobs.
However, being a native speaker of the language doesn’t guarantee eloquence or even proper writing skills.
Some people have spoken English all their lives but haven’t stopped saying these commonly mispronounced words. This is why you must actually be a good teacher in order to help people learn one of the most complex languages in the world.
Online language teachers usually graduate with degrees in English, literature, or even both. Therefore, most of them charge a lot for their services. As an undergrad college student, you can set your hourly rate a little bit lower than the normal rate.
However, make sure you state your qualifications clearly to avoid problems in the future. If you are interested in this one, check here.
9. Web Design
If you have a computer science major or you have any computer training, then you should check this one out closely. Web design is a job that can be done from any location.
It is, without a doubt, one of the best-paying jobs in the industry. A web designer can charge anything between 50,000 to 300,000 naira for a single website. Due to the coding involved in this work, a lot of people shy away from it, and this makes the market a little less competitive.
There are two ways a web designer can get jobs, they can either pitch clients directly with a good portfolio or rely on recommendations and referrals. A web designer can also find work on Upwork.
10. Virtual Assistant
If you are a good writer, communicator, or ghostwriter, you should consider the job of a virtual assistant to an influencer or people with very tight schedules. The people that do this job are quite comfortable, at least the ones I know.
You will be doing what a personal assistant will do and from anywhere in the world. To be honest, this one is not so easy, especially if you land a strict boss. However, the pay will compensate you very well.
11. Virtual Receptionist
This one has started becoming a big norm in the corporate world. It is particularly amongst new start-ups without a big office space to hire a remote receptionist. You might also need a virtual receptionist if you’re planning to relocate your office to a new location.
Usually, virtual receptionists’ jobs require answering customer calls and responding to web chats which require top-notch punctuality.
Some companies even go ahead and hire a physical receptionist and a virtual one depending on their online presence and other contributing factors.
You may be required to work for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week with a minimum of 20 hours a week.
Quite frankly this is a really demanding job and you may need to be a natural ‘peoples’ person for this one. However, I think the pay will do well to compensate for the not-so-easy job.
Below are some sites that you might want to check out if you are interested in this one. I am obligated to let you know that jobs like this could greatly affect your academics if you do not organise yourself properly.
12. Customer Service
Customer service jobs are pretty close to the ones virtual assistants do. Various companies are now investing in remote workers these days and the customer care department is not exempted.
Remote customer care agents are required to interact with customers over the phone, solve problems, proffer solutions and interact with any web questions from customers. Certainly, you would have to undergo some kind of training from the company or how else are you going to provide customers with solutions if you aren’t familiar with the company itself?
This one is more demanding and rewarding. It is left to you to decide what falls in well with your academic schedule and what doesn’t.
13. Online Tutor
The English language is not the only thing you can teach online. It is one of the most popular online lessons, however, there is a huge market for other lessons too.
If you are a good forex trader, or you have any online skills at all, you can set up a pair group tutorial for money.
This one should be flexible because you are working with your own time. Online tutoring in Nigeria and some other countries are done with chat apps like Telegram or Whatsapp.
I personally know students, some of them that are at my level earning a federal worker’s salary through this means.
14. Online Transcribing
I must say that due to the simplicity of this particular job, it is not very exclusive and the pay is not as big as the others as well. However, as a college student, the extra change should be a welcome development.
All you need is a good ear and reasonable writing skills. Transcribing is what you see those not-so-enthusiastic people who sit on the left side of a court doing during a trial.
They listen and make notes of what they hear in court proceedings. You might try this.
15. Become an influencer/authority in a field
When you are known to a reasonable extent, you can begin to opt for brand sponsorship. Brand sponsorship is another sure way of monetizing your videos or followership.
If you have a large following on any platform, you can reach out to brands and encourage them to apply for sponsorship ads on your channel. Sometimes, these brands could even reach out to you themselves for a shout-out.
There has been a muffled protest about the rate youtube pays creators which is 3-5 dollars per 1000 video views which is very low. However, you can still make some really good money through brand sponsorship.
16. Proofreader
You may know some people who will naturally just interrupt a sentence of yours to correct a verb or adjective. If you find yourself doing this effortlessly and you can also do it on a written text, I think this is one of the online jobs for you.
There are tons and tons of people whose first language isn’t English language and they might learn to speak fluently. It’s not as easy when it comes to writing. So, you could help out.
What I am saying, in essence, is that your main customer base should be people who don’t have English as a native language. Proofreaders are needed and there are not enough of you guys in the industry.
17. Youtube
I saved the best for last. Let me cut to the chase and let you know that some people are earning six figures a year making YouTube videos. Youtube is a platform that pays any video maker a percentage of the money made from any video posted on their platform.
One side way of making money on youtube is by joining their partner program. This program will allow YouTube to display certain adverts on your video upload. Youtube will pay you per click on the adverts and impressions.
Usually, the percentage is 55% for the creator and youtube holds on to 45%. However, to qualify for this program, you must have at least 1000 subscribers and a minimum of 4000 hours of video playtime 12 months prior to your application.
18. Selling your clothes
Many of you have a lot of clothes that have taken up your space. Sometimes, your clothes are piled up like packs of cards to the extent you don’t have enough space in your hostel room.
Do you know you can create a job from your excess clothes? Why not sell your excess clothes? The major skills you need in selling clothes online are good customer service and good marketing skills. With a good out-of-the-box marketing idea, your business will boom!
As a college student, you don’t need to rent a shop in Balogun market in Lagos before you can market your product.
Let me burst your bubble. You can sell clothes online without renting a physical shop. You can market your clothes on Social media sites like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Poshmark.
As a college student, you will earn extra cash without having to depend on your parents. At least, you will earn their respect once they notice you are gradually becoming financially independent.
19. Voice-Over Artist
Do you have a great voice? Then becoming a voice-over artist is meant for you? You don’t even need any money to become a voice-over. What you need is a great baritone voice if you are a male and a lovely voice if you are a female.
You also need to add broadcasting skills and public speaking skills to your resume if you want to get a job as an online voice-over artist.
The equipment you need to become a voice artist includes a microphone, a Headphone, and a microphone stand.
Each of these pieces of equipment has its uses. The microphone is important to capture how your voice sounds.
Furthermore, headphone is necessary so that you can detect any problems such as electrical disturbance. You won’t need to hold a microphone so a microphone stand is needed. Being a voice-over artist is very interesting because what you need to do is to work on your craft and practice consistently.
You can record a demo and send it to radio stations so that you can be considered. You can be a voice-over artist for various brands. A voice-over artist gets an average amount of 30 dollars. At least getting this amount will sort out some of your college needs if not all. You can get voice-over artist jobs on sites like indeed, linked in, Upwork, and Fiverr.
20. Blogging
A blogger is an individual who usually writes content for an online platform There are online companies that need the service of a writer to help drive traffic to their website.
In case you don’t know, blogging is the newfound gold. Starting your career as a blogger, you need a laptop and a smartphone. Knowing the nitty gritty of blogging will earn you a lot of money to the extent that you won’t need to call your parents for allowances.
That smartphone you are holding can fetch you a huge sum of money federal government civil servants are earning if you are knowledgeable about blogging. I am sure you know Linda Ikeji and Stella Dimokokorkus. These famous bloggers earn their living from blogging.
The skills you need in blogging include good writing skills, and the ability to research and edit.
Making money in blogging is as easy as ABC. What You need to do is to monetise your blog by using google Adsense.
Google AdSense is a pay-per-click promotion network that allows bloggers to make money when blog visitors click on the advert placed on their blog. You can also earn money by asking people to advertise a product on your blog.
When people advertise on your blog, they will pay you on a monthly or daily basis based on your negotiations with them. You can also make money on your blog through the pay-per-click method.
The pay-per-click method involves selling an advert space for International and local brands who want to advertise their products. As a college student, nothing should limit you from earning an extra income because we are in the digital age era.
Read 5 Simple Steps to Start a Blog in Nigeria.
21. Online bookkeeper
An online bookkeeper helps organizations with assignments like recording transactions and processing payroll cheques. You can be an online bookkeeper and your studies will not be affected.
For you to become an online bookkeeper, you need to be tech-savvy. you need to be familiar with accounting practices. If you are studying accounting in college or are good with figures, then the role of an online bookkeeper will not be a big deal for you.
Once you have a laptop. You can begin your career as an online bookkeeper. You can make your money by being an online bookkeeper. Sites like Indeed, flex usually paste vacancies for online bookkeepers.
You can add familiarity with accounting practices to your resume so that recruiters can employ you. Before you know it, you will be earning enough money to cater to your needs at the college.
Truth be told, it is not every need that your parents or guardians can provide if you are not born with a silver spoon. The interesting part of being an online bookkeeper is that it can’t affect your studies because you are going to be working online.
22. Freelance Website Developer
As a college student, you can earn extra income as a Website developer. A website developer’s primary role is creating websites. Website developers make websites attractive and easy to operate.
Sites like Nairaland and Linda Ikeji’s blog are designed by a website developer. Earning extra income is not that difficult if you learn coding skills.
Do you know the exciting part? You don’t need a formal education to become a website developer. You can teach yourself how to code and design a website. If you want to become a website developer, you need to be tech-savvy.
You can also take an online professional course to be a certified website developer. A website developer makes an average amount of $70857. Website developers are categorised into 3.
They include a full-stack website developer, a back-end website developer, and a front-end developer. You can earn a fortune that will last for generations if you are a website developer that knows your worth.
There are over 27 Cheapest ways to drive traffic to a website. Just Open your eyes to opportunities staring at you.
23. Video Editor
A video editor is responsible for examining audio and visual footage and using computer software to organise clips. Video editors correct mistakes in a video so that such videos can appeal to the audience.
You can make extra income as an online video editor. Being a college student is not a barrier to earning extra income. For you to be a video editor.
You need professional skills. Don’t worry because these professional skills can be acquired online. You can register for some of these courses from online sites like Udemy and Coursera.
Get a good laptop that is meant for video editing. With that, you are good to go. Sites like linked in, Fiverr, and Upwork usually request the services of a video editor. In Nigeria, an average online video editor earns #1479996 per annum.
24. Affiliate marketing
Being a college student is costly. Students need to pay for house rent, food, and study materials. What if I tell you there is a less demanding way to earn extra income? You don’t need to take a regular job that will affect your study.
Have you heard of affiliate marketing? Affiliate marketing involves selling products through a third party. The third party is an affiliate marketer. Affiliate marketing is different from conventional marketing where you need to trek and sweat under the sun before you can market a product.
Listen, we are now living in the digital age where marketing can be done online. Affiliate marketing is done online, so you don’t need to worry because it can’t affect your study. You need a smartphone to start as an affiliate marketer.
As an affiliate marketer, all you need to do is to advertise a product online. There are steps to earn money in affiliate marketing. For instance, if you work as a marketer for a restaurant that specializes in selling beans and plantain, you can create content by writing about the benefits of beans and plantain in the human diet.
The more people click on your link to order such food, the fatter your cheques get. Affiliate marketing is a very efficient way for students to make money while pursuing their studies.
There are many benefits of social media platforms. You can make money as an affiliate marketer if you have a large presence on social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Brands will be willing to contact you so that you can market their products. You don’t need to be a celebrity before you advertise products. In Nigeria, there are many affiliate marketing companies you can partner with.
You can partner with companies like Jumia, Amazon, and Konga. when you promote a product as an affiliate marketer, you will earn a commission from it.
25. Dropshipping
Are you aware that most college students are making money from drop shipping? As a drop shipper, you don’t need to have the stock in hand.
Let me explain how it works. In the drop shipping business, you need a supplier that will supply you with goods. Your job is to create an online store so that you can advertise your product.
Customers will place an order from you when they see your advert. Your online store will place an order with your supplier.
The dropshipping supplier prepares your buyer’s orders. Drop shipping has many benefits. As a college student, you don’t need to have a physical shop to start this business. All you need is an online store.
Furthermore, Customers won’t know that you are a middleman. A drop shipping business is very simple to start because you don’t need money to start it.
The most trending products you can sell for your drop shipping business include kitchen appliances, men’s and women’s clothing wear, Kids’ wear, and electronics. You can earn an average amount of $50,000 if you have many customers ordering your products.
What are you still waiting for? For you to become successful in a dropshipping business, find out what you want to be selling, find a trustworthy supplier and invest in aggressive marketing.
Conclusion
Don’t bother looking for a market for your skill. You already have a good environment – the college environment. It won’t be difficult to find young, new graduates who are eager to use your services.
Believe me, once you create a good resume for someone, you will get clients based on referrals, not even adverts. I know 2 people in my hostel who write resumes and other things like term papers for fellow students. Just for the extra cash!
You can leave the graphical aspect of the content development to the graphic designers.
However, if you have all the above qualities I mentioned, you are halfway across the river to the golden shores.
As a college student, I need not mention the fact that you’ll need good problem-solving and team skills for online jobs. Why? whether you like it or not, you will have to work with someone else or a team.
This is a detailed list of online jobs you can do to earn money as a student without any financial investment. Without wasting much time, start one and let me know the results ;-). Feel free to drop your comments.
