ave you internalized the idea that you can’t make good money until you graduate? Change your mindset! Just because you don’t have a degree yet doesn’t mean you can’t find a part-time job that pays well. You've just got to be strategic and motivated. First, let's talk about what motivated me.
The Ultimatum
"Why would you live in an apartment by the University of Minnesota when you can live comfortably at home with us? We live close enough to campus, and you’ve already been commuting there anyway,” My dad grilled me one spring day my senior year of high school. I had just revealed that I did not want to live at home for college. Instead, I wanted to live in Minneapolis, near campus.
“The commute is terrible. I hate it!” I exclaimed. It was true I had commuted to campus while I was taking college classes in high school, and it was the worst. I’d drive to a bus station a town over, wait for a bus, then commute into the city. Two to three hours a day commuting. I was tired of it.
“Plus, I want the college experience.”
Ever tried explaining “college experience” to an immigrant parent who had never gone to school in the US? Good luck.
Needless to say, that conversation ended with an ultimatum. My dad had previously promised to match dollar for dollar the amount I would receive in local scholarships, and he said he’d keep that promise. But if I chose to live on campus, he would not help me pay for any of my living expenses. Rent, utilities, food, gas, clothes — that was all on me.
(Un?)fortunately for him, my dad had raised a stubborn child.
Challenge accepted.
The Challenge: Pay for My College Living Expenses Without Working More than 15 Horus
I knew that in a few months, I would be on my own financially. I needed a game plan.
I set two goals for myself. First, I wouldn’t take out any loans and would instead find a job that would pay enough to fully cover my living expenses. Second, I didn’t want work to interfere with my studies, so I’d work no more than 15 hours a week to cover all my expenses.
Work less than 15 hours a week while still paying for ALL my living expenses? Was I crazy?
Not really. I could live frugally, and Minneapolis wasn’t an outrageously high cost of living city. But, most importantly, I already had a good idea about a job that could pay pretty well.
While in high school, I worked once or twice a week as a host and a server at a small pizza and gyro restaurant called TJ’s. I made pretty good money there. On top of the minimum wage, I could count on making at least double in tips, usually more, bringing my average hourly pay to around $20 an hour. Not bad for a high school kid, right?
As I pondered my new financial dilemma and ran the numbers on my average earnings at TJ’s, I figured working in a bar or restaurant close to campus just might be the perfect money-making gig for me!
If I could find a job close to campus that allowed me to average the same hourly pay, I could easily cover my living expenses without working too many hours. With my existing serving experience, I felt like I had a decent chance of getting hired.
Approaching The Job Hunt Strategically
I was very intentional and methodical in my job search. First, I created a resume detailing my serving experience and my high school achievements to show I was a responsible employee and a quick learner. Then, I went on Google maps and created a list of all the bars and restaurants around campus. A month and a half before the semester started, I printed out a stack of resumes, drove to campus, and dropped one resume at each and every sit-down dining and drinking establishment on campus.
A few managers wanted to chat right away when I dropped off my resume, so I had an informal interview with some. Some places weren’t hiring “but they’d take my resume just in case.” Other places were looking for employees who could commit to at least 3 or 4 shifts a week, but I didn’t want to commit to more than two.
In the end, one place called me back for an interview, and I was hired on the spot. Stub and Herb’s, or Stubs, as we called it, was a popular bar next to the football stadium. It was also the oldest bar on campus, having opened in the 1930s. Divey vibes, a creepy basement, a rotating list of craft beer, great wings, and a boisterous crowd on football gamedays made it a fun, fast-paced, and lucrative place to work. As a bonus, some of the employees and regulars became good friends.
For the next two and a half years, I worked only a couple shifts a week, but the money I made at Stubs paid for all of my living expenses. Think about that. As a teenager. And full time college student. I supported myself throughout college. Without taking out any loans. While working no more than 15 hours a week.
It’s not impossible. It’s achievable. You have every shot at doing the same.
So… How Much Did I Make?
I recently found some old pay stubs that listed my hourly pay, tips, and hours worked. I made somewhere between $25 and $30 an hour pre-tax at my job. Not bad for a college kid. Certainly way more than I’d have made as an on-campus library assistant or bookstore cashier or barista or even a teaching assistant.
And I can’t emphasize this enough — ultimately, it wasn’t about how much total money I made, but how little I had to work to make enough money to cover food, rent, and car expenses. Working around 10-12 hours per week during the semester really let me focus on my classes and even gave me time to party on the weekends. Though, admittedly, I did have to skip the occasional party to work a late night shift at the bar, or get up early for football game days.
If you’re trying to juggle a full-time school schedule with a part time job at 20 hours a week or more, you’re in for a rough few years. You’ll have to sacrifice some of your social life or some of your studying time. Maybe both. Your grades might suffer. Furthermore, college isn’t just about working and studying. You want to make sure that whatever job you take on, you make time for extracurricular activities and getting to know new people. That’s why I worked just enough to cover my living expenses, and that’s why I believe working more than 15 hours a week is a bad idea.
How to Land a Well-Paying Serving Gig
If you want to get a part-time job in high school, can put on a customer service smile, and know how to make small talk, consider applying for a serving job. With no college degree required, it’s a perfect money-making opportunity. Below are some tips on how to land that job.
In the service industry, it’s pretty common practice to go into the establishment itself to drop off resumes. A few places — especially corporate chains — will allow you to fill out applications online. But the advantage of going in person is that you might be able to get an interview with the manager right away and put your resume to the front of the pile if they have a lot of applicants.
It’s also important to be strategic about when you drop off your application. Don’t drop off an application during the 6pm dinner rush. The time between 2 and 4 pm is the sweet spot: there’s usually a lull between the lunch and dinner crowds, and a manager is more likely to look over your application on the spot.
Timing is particularly important for the dining and drinking establishments near campus. These spots are generally least busy during the summer, when a big portion of the student population goes back home for the summer. Most places aren’t going to be looking for additional staff early on in the summer. Instead, many managers start hiring in the lead-up to the start of the fall semester, as their graduating employees find full time jobs and the students start coming back to campus. Find that sweet spot to have the best shot at getting hired.
And of course, it doesn’t hurt to have experience serving or hosting before you get to college. In my opinion, any high school kid who applies to work in retail or fast food or coffee shop is not being smart in their choice of work. Apply to work at a diner or restaurant while you’re still in high school. The tips are much better.
Don't Ignore Paid Summer Internships
I get it. Not everyone is cut out to sling beers and burgers at occasionally annoying patrons. Or maybe your college doesn’t have a lot of bars or restaurants around.
You still want to pay for your living expenses, right? There are other options.
The biggest potential moneymaker is a paid summer internship or full-time summer job. Ideally, you’ll want to spend your summers doing something related to the career you want after college. Computer science major? Find a software development company and apply for a summer internship. You’ll make some solid cash.
Business major? Apply for marketing or finance internships, which are also often paid, though probably not as well as those computer science internships.
Unfortunately, if you’re an art history major, you might be out of luck in the paid internships department, but I hear coffee shops are common places of employment for art history grads. Just kidding — kinda.
Whatever route you choose to go, don’t settle for minimum wage.
Reflect for a minute.
You need to let go of any beliefs that college student's can't make good money. You can still find a part-time job that pays well without a degree. Build up job experience in high school, and be methodical and intentional in your job search when you get to college. This will set you up for success on your way to a debt-free college experience.
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