Balancing an unpaid internship is no easy task for college students, who are notorious for being consistently broke. Internships are necessary to build your skills and gain experience in your industry, but working one that’s unpaid can leave you strapped for both time and cash. 
Flexible jobs are the best way to complement an unpaid internship. That means looking for a job where you can choose your hours and potentially even the days you work. When most college students think of part-time jobs, positions in retail and food service come to mind. But these jobs offer limited flexibility, as your working hours are usually entirely up to the discretion of your employer.
For college students, locating flexible work options means searching in more unique places. Check out these job ideas to get a jump start on your search:
Campus tour guide
Most universities are always looking for students to promote their school to prospective students. I was a campus tour guide at Penn State for a summer, and we were able to choose the tour times that worked best for us. In addition, we could swap tours with other guides if a conflict came up, or if we needed extra time to study for an exam–the ultimate in flexibility. And there are other benefits, too–you get exercise and build your public speaking skills!
Tutor
Check out your campus’ academic resource center for opportunities to tutor students. Many of these positions are paid and allow you to work when it’s most convenient for your and your tutee. Generally, all you need is a good GPA. Check out what options your university has, or consider looking into options tutoring at your local elementary or high school.
Babysitter
There are always opportunities to make extra cash in the evenings by working as a babysitter or nanny. Depending on your location and the number of kids you’re watching, you’ll typically make anywhere from $10-$20 a hour–much better than minimum wage! Depending on the family you work for, babysitting can actually provide you with valuable networking contacts for your career as well.
Or…leverage your existing skills!
Consider searching for freelance writing opportunities, or offer your social-media savvy to a local business who could use a branding boost. If you’re great at graphic design, see if a small business will pay you to design advertisements for them. Leveraging your existing skills can provide financial compensation if you know where to look–and you can boost your portfolio.
An unpaid internship is certainly beneficial to the education and job search process, but the hole it leaves in your pocket can be frustrating. Try these flexible options for adding cash to your pocket while building your resume, and make sure to do something you love.
As a college student, did you ever take on an unpaid internship and a part-time side gig? How did you make it work? Was it flexible? We’d love to hear your stories in a comment below!
