You can get just about any job to help pay the bills in college, but there are certainly jobs you’ll enjoy more than others. If you’re an artistic person, finding a job that stimulates your creative juices can be difficult. Add being a full-time college student to the mix, and you may be hard-pressed to find a gig that fits into your schedule and piques your interest. But this doesn’t mean you have to trudge through your days in misery doing something you don’t really enjoy. There are plenty of part-time jobs that let you showcase your creativity. The nine examples below are of some of the best jobs out there for artistic college students.
1. Photographer
Photography is a great job to have for several reasons. Your artistic eye will allow you to find great shots all around you—and in order to get truly incredible photos, you'll get to visit some amazing places too! If you’re adventurous and like to see where the camera lens takes you, you’ll love having this job in college. Photography also allows for multiple forms of income. You can sell stock photography online to make a passive income while also taking pictures for the school newspaper or charging for wedding, engagement, and baby announcement photoshoots. As a college student with some creativity up your sleeve, you can design your own sets and make them unique and fun. People love themes, so creating your own can help draw clients in.
2. Digital designer
If you dabble in the digital art field, try finding a position that allows you to be a digital designer. Usually digital designers must have a degree already, but plenty of designers could use some help to create fun digital content. You could be an apprentice or assistant while still being hands-on with the designing. Most of this type of work is available remotely—like from the comfort of your dorm room—so you won't have to worry about taking a big chunk of your time going to and from work. If you feel confident enough about your skills, there are plenty of online job boards that promote jobs for digital designers. It won’t matter to some of those seeking digital content whether you have a degree or not; they’ll let your work speak for itself. In this instance, you’ll need to create an online portfolio to display on your profile.
3. Freelance writer
For some artists, their canvas is a blank page, and they create art with words. If you’re the wordy type, your perfect college job is freelance writing. There are many different types of writing too: technical, copywriting, short stories, blogging, and more. This allows you to fill your writing plate to the brim or focus on one niche you know you excel at. Freelance writing provides a flexible schedule that’ll work around your college courses, and you also have the ability to set your own rates. As with digital design, your work speaks for itself if you’ve curated a stellar portfolio.
Related: Beginner’s Guide to Freelancing, Part 1: The Fun Stuff
4. Art teacher’s aide
Do you love kids? Do you enjoy teaching? You should be an art teacher’s aide! If spending your days helping little ones develop a love for art through gouache and glitter sounds like fun, this is definitely the job for you. As an art teacher's aide, you'll assist by going from student to student offering help and giving them a little extra boost in their creative confidence. You may also set up before a class and clean up after, but the kids will make it all worth it. This is another job that could require a degree, but there may be more flexibility with your required qualifications.
5. Baker
A bakery job may involve a lot of cleaning and cooking, and it'll potentially demand very early mornings—but there’s still the chance for you to be creative. Imagine the fun you’ll have decorating cakes and cupcakes with icing and sprinkles. If you’ve watched every season of every baking competition show out there, you’ll fit in splendidly at a bakery. Plus, leftover bread and other treats at the end of the day is never a bad thing.
6. Makeup artist
If your idea of art involves enhancing the human face, your dream college job could be to work at a beauty store. Many big beauty store chains like Sephora and Ulta hire college students as desk clerks, but you may even get hired to do makeovers. (You can also do this at big department store beauty counters.) If you enjoy applying makeup and helping people find the right colors for their face, you should follow this path. Plus, most of these stores provide a generous employee discount on their makeup products! If you can’t find a beauty store looking to hire but you’re confident in your skills, consider becoming an independent makeup artist and network to find clients.
Related: How to Start Networking: Top Tips and Tricks
7. Tutor
If you’re pursuing an Art degree, you can tutor students who are taking classes similar to your major. While teaching, you can grow your art skills while helping others find their own artistic calling and improve their grades so they can thrive too. Tutoring on campus also allows you to branch out and meet more people at your school!
8. Social media assistant
As a college student, you likely know what’s trending. You can use this knowledge to create memes, social media posts, and blogs that’ll speak to your generation. Because social media is such a big part of online marketing, many businesses are looking for workers in the know. There may even be opportunities for this on your campus, like in the admission office. You'll keep their social media presence on target and handle speaking to their audience. This job can be done remotely with flexible hours, so it fits nicely into a college student’s schedule.
9. Independent vendor
Not into traditional jobs? Would you rather focus on your craft but still need money? You can do that! There are many online marketplaces where you can sell your products. If they’re tangible products, you can create an account on Etsy or Amazon Handmade and sell them there. If you create digital products, you can still use Etsy, but Sellwire and SendOwl are more geared toward digital goods. This way, you get to do what you love and make money!
Related: 7 Ways Students Can Make Money During the Pandemic
As you can see, there are plenty of jobs out there that allow you to be creative and help pay for college. Apply your creativity to not just your art but your life in general. You'll notice that you’ll find plenty of opportunities that are just what you want.
If you’re unsure where to start looking for a new job, check out this blog highlighting 7 Valuable Job Search Sites for College Students.
