Keen to start saving for next year’s Ibiza trip, a shiny new Xbox or that outrageously pricey pair of boots? There are loads of ways to make some extra dosh which don’t involve washing neighbours’ cars or cleaning up the dog poop in your garden.
Waiting
Tables that is. Waiting and waitressing is a common first job for loads of people and can be really fun and flexible. Waiting work can be found in cafes, restaurants, bars, fast food outlets – you name it. As a waiter you will either have to keep an eye on a whole premise or a section where you will interact directly with the public. Tasks will include greeting customers, showing them to seats, advising on speciality dishes, taking orders and bringing out food as well as clearing it. Hospitality environments can be fast paced and require concentration, stamina and patience. You need to be on the ball to take orders which may have important requests such as allergies and memorise multiple drinks orders. Shifts as a waiter can be long – up to 12 hours or more – however you can enjoy the added benefit of receiving tips which will bump up your hourly wage. One important skill which you will hone as a waiter or waitress is customer service. The public can be darn right rude sometimes and you are the face of the business who will be expected to deal with any situation calmly and efficiently. Other skills you can pick up are health and safety and food safety courses.
PR-ing
If you have recently moved to the city you will have noticed a lot of people out on the street trying to grab your attention and handing you flyers. Don’t confuse PR-ing with charity work – PR-ing doesn’t require you to convince people to sign up to a monthly donation for polar bears. Instead, it’s about being a smiley, positive person who likes to socialise and get out and about. Sound like you? Clubs and restaurants are always on the lookout for keen, active individuals willing to promote their brand. PR stands for public relations so a job PR-ing means that you have to go out and represent a business, acting as their link to the public. It helps if you like the food of a restaurant or the music of a club you PR for because then if someone asks questions, you are knowledgeable on the subject. Hours can vary and tasks include visiting various bars and public buildings to deposit fliers and handing them out to people in the street. You may also be asked to go out on Friday and Saturday nights to hand out free passes or visit student unions to put up posters. You can get commission for the people who visit the business with your passes so giving a bit of chat goes a long way. As you aren’t monitored while out and about, this is a job which gives a good amount of freedom and independence, so it’s a good opportunity to show how reliable you can be.
Retail
River Island, Hamleys, the Apple Store… the possibilities are endless with retail. Some shops can be very demanding and require constant concentration and activity, whereas others can be very quiet – ideal for those of you who want to be paid for not doing very much. Roles in retail include working on the shop floor arranging products, changing displays and offering customers help, working at the till processing purchases and returns or even demonstrating products. If you’re into fashion then this is an ideal opportunity for you to work in an inspirational environment, or if you’re a keen photographer why not work in a camera shop where you can learn and be paid for it? You need to be a people-person to enjoy retail as you will regularly deal with the public. Perks include store discounts and flexible hours.
Tutoring
If you’ve just finished your National 5s or gone to uni, why not benefit from all the learning and revision by passing the knowledge on to someone else? Parents will pay big bucks to have their child tutored by students who are fresh from the course so why not dig out your old folders and advertise your services on Gumtree? You can fit visits around college or uni commitments, scheduling tutoring sessions whenever it suits you. You will meet lots of lovely students and parents, and may get to see some interesting homes too. It doesn’t need to be younger people you work with though – why not offer your services teaching English to foreign students? Students from abroad sometimes struggle to mix with people who aren’t also on exchange due to language barriers and could benefit with a native speaker sitting down with them to practice their English. Simply stick up posters with contact details around your college or uni buildings and the union and let the work come to you. The great thing with tutoring is that you can charge whatever you want (within reason) so put yourself out there and help someone with your skills.
Sell your stuff!
Student halls are not exactly the most spacious of residences and you might feel like you could do with a clearout. If you’ve left home, your parents might start hassling you to get rid of stuff left behind so they can transform your teenage dungeon into a habitable guest room (the cheek!). So why not make a bit of money by selling your wares? You could take piles of old clothes, CDs and ornaments to a car boot sale or put them up online. The most popular method of selling second hand stuff is on the online marketplace eBay. Strathclyde student Heather describes her experience: “I started by getting the eBay app because it’s easy to work. First you set up an eBay account and a PayPal account then you’re good to go. Simply take pictures of your shoes, hat, dress or whatever, describe the item, its condition and be careful to detail any faults. Then you decide a starting price for bidding or a ‘buy it now’ price plus postage. Ebay does the rest! Once it’s live it stays live for a week and you get notifications if anyone has bid or bought it. Once it’s sold eBay tells you if they’ve paid (to PayPal who keeps the money for about a week in case of a dispute) then you post it and click posted. Once the person receives it they leave positive feedback and that’s you! I’ve made £60 from things I don’t wear/use and would have given away!”
