Graduating college and living on your own comes with major ups and, unfortunately, a few downs, including bills, bills, and more bills. And, somehow, that super expensive degree we just got didn’t come with a super well paying job- in fact, it probably came with an entry-level, below living wage job or unpaid internship (thanks, baby boomers/ capitalism/ government). Those student loan bills won’t stop coming, and neither will the rent, insurance, and utilities bills.
So what is the solution here? How can we make enough money to pay our bills and *gasp* live fun and social lives, while climbing through the ranks of our chosen career? 2 words:
Side hustle.
I don’t know about you, but no one ever mentioned side hustles to me in high school or college. It’s a relatively new idea and a pretty radical one for people from our parents’ generation. But, once I learned the versatile options and potential salary from a well-chosen side hustle, I realized they’re the future- and possibly our saving grace.
As I’ve been researching and testing out different side hustles, I felt like I was wasting my time (and all that money I spent on my degree) by doing ones that were super easy- like taking surveys, for example. Most of them were estimated to take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, with a less than substantial payment in return. I kept thinking- I have a Bachelor’s Degree, my time is more valuable than this. I can’t put taking surveys on my resume!
That’s when I started looking for side hustles that were worth my time, lucrative, and even a little fun! Check out this list to for side hustles that will improve your resume AND pay your bills!
The links to VIPKID below are my referral links. I only recommend services I use myself- I love teaching with VIPKID and I think you will too!
VIPKID
If you like working with kids, having a flexible schedule, and getting creative, then VIPKID is a great option for you! With VIPKID, you’ll teach English one on one to elementary-aged students in China via webcam. The best part? Each lesson is planned for you and only 25 minutes long.
Since the students don’t speak much English, teaching them involves you getting a little creative and wacky- which can be so fun!
During the interview and on-boarding process (which is not at all as intimidating as it might seem!), they teach you everything you need to know to be a successful ESL teacher on their platform- like how to act out key phrases and concepts and how to effectively manage your classroom. After that, they have plenty of workshops, support documents, and challenges where you can earn badges and tokens!
What about the money, honey? No worries there either- VIPKID will pay you $14-$22/ hour, depending on your experience. Additionally, there are ways to earn extra money through the platform, like being on time for classes, filling out feedback, and referring friends to become teachers.
Depending on your schedule, you might not love the hours of VIPKID. Personally, I’m a fan because they’re completely flexible: you set your own schedule and they’re before/after the U.S. workday- so it’s easy to do with your full time job!
Their schedule runs on Beijing time, so the peak hours (the ones with the most bookings) are, depending on your time zone, from 5am to 10am and 8pm to 11:30pm. While the hours are definitely non-traditional, you only book classes 25 minutes at a time, so you only have to open time slots for the 30 minute chunks you have available in your day.
The biggest downfall with VIPKID is that it can take some time to get a steady income. For regular classes, parents tend to book with the same teacher or book teachers who have plenty of positive reviews. When you’re first starting out, you won’t have those reviews, but they do offer trial classes for you to teach. These classes are for families who are testing out VIPKID to see if they want to subscribe. As a bonus, you earn a small commission for every trial class student you have that signs up for the program!
There are a few ways VIPKID will help out your resume, especially since the skills involved are super transferable between positions. VIPKID involves communication, adaptability, creativity, leadership, multi-tasking, time management, and more! Each of these are, obviously, important skills in any position, so VIPKID will make a great example of all you can do!
Overall, VIPKID is one of my favorite side hustles to improve your resume! It’s flexible, lucrative, and, honestly, pretty fun, Although it can take a while to get started, you’ll find it’s an exciting way to jumpstart your morning or end your day and a great way to show off transferable skills on your resume!
Fiverr
Fiverr allows you to offer any- yes, any- service on their website for others to book. Common ones include writing/ editing, computer/ tech assistance, and graphic design/ art. But don’t for a second think you’re limited to just those: people also offer to write your message on their stomach and dance or dress up as Jesus and sing a song!
Those last two are, of course, not going to improve your resume (I know, heartbreaking), but other services can! If you have a skill you can offer to others that’s also a solid resume skill- like writing, communication, creativity, tech, etc- then that’s one way Fiverr can help your resume!
Also, Fiverr provides loads of data on how you’re doing, like average response rate, monthly sales and revenue, average rating, and more. Numerical data is a great way to legitimize your skills on your resume and grab the attention of the person reading your resume, so having these stats can definitely make your resume stand out
The pay with Fiverr is up to you: you get to price your services and offer 3 different packages- which is a great way to gain extra money from each of your services! Similar to VIPKID, it can take time to get the ball rolling, but the key is to stick with it!
Check out the services and other profiles on Fiverr and see if it seems like a good fit! It’s a great way to incorporate data in your resume, especially if you have impressive growth or sales numbers, and show your transferable skills. Although it might take time to get started, you can find success if you don’t give up!
Etsy
If you’re crafty, creative, or willing to learn a new skill, then selling on Etsy might be perfect for you! It only costs $0.20 to list an item on Etsy and they only take a 5% transaction fee, so you get to keep a majority of the money you earn. And there are so many types of products you can sell- it’s one of the most versatile side hustles in this list!
Like we all know, you can sell any unique handmade crafts you specialize in or fun projects you have the equipment to make- the sky’s the limit! If you don’t have either of those, don’t worry! You’re definitely not out of the Etsy game.
One option is to learn a new skill! I know, I know- this might sound intimidating. But, listen, you’re young- this is the time to learn new skills! You don’t have to become an expert to master one or two projects and start selling them- you just have to be willing to learn. Crafting is also a great way to unwind and take care of yourself. Even if you don’t want to sell your projects, consider learning a new skill anyway!
Another option is to sell digital products, like printable wall art with simple graphics and quotes. Don’t feel like you have to be an expert in Photoshop or a graphic designer to pull this off! Free services like Canva.com make it easy to create your own downloadable wall art- practice a little, come up with a couple designs, and start selling!
Selling on Etsy can improve your resume because it involves those transferable skills I keep mentioning- communication, timeliness, customer service, multi-tasking, sales, marketing… I can keep going!
Mention those skills, back it up with some solid examples, and incorporate your sales growth in your bullets, and you will definitely improve your resume with this side hustle!
It’s more accessible for non-expert crafters than people think, and can definitely bring in a nice chunk of side hustle change! You get to price everything yourself and you can sell both physical and digital products
These side hustles that will improve your resume are sure to help you bring in extra money while you’re working your full time gig. They’re super flexible and involve a ton of transferable skills and data to show off on your resume. Sometimes it can take a little while to get the ball rolling, but if you stick to one (and find a way to make it fun), then you’re sure to find success!