Side Hustles For College Students

Graphic design is an industry that relies heavily on the side hustle. Crystal Petersen started hustling as a graphic designer while in college at the University of Georgia. “While I was an undergraduate, I helped pay for educational expenses by selling my graphic design services to people I knew. I would take anything from a $25 business card design to $200 logo for a friend I met through Facebook.”

Sites like�Etsy,�99 Designs�and�Café Press�allow side hustling designers to sell their services and designs. Petersen recommends also setting up a professional profile on�Upwork. “There are always clients in search of someone to help them with graphic design,” she says.

Quality written content is needed everywhere, making writing a solid side hustle to explore. Ryan Barone earned more than $20,000 as a freelance writer while an undergraduate at Santa Clara University. “Writing was something I could sign up for and start in a single day. After researching, I found several areas where I could win freelancing jobs, even without professional experience,” he says.

Sites like�Freelancer,�Guru�and�PeoplePerHour�connect freelancers with writing jobs. However, like Petersen, Barone recommends�Upwork. “I gravitated towards Elance (now Upwork). It was the most user-friendly option and has a structure that allows writers to find jobs. You can also receive feedback and build credibility,” he notes.

Marketing is a broad industry with great side hustle potential. Anna Segova started hustling in marketing while in college, which allowed her to build a portfolio and establish relationships with real-life clients. “The challenge,” she shares, “is finding well-paying gigs.” Unlike Petersen and Barone, Segova focused on offline interpersonal relationships to find clients.

“Outsourcing platforms like Upwork or Fiverr were not the right fit more me. I kept looking for more serious clients, which was challenging at first, but in the long run, worth it.”

Sites like�Upwork,�Small Business Directions�and�LinkedIn Profinder�post a range of marketing jobs, from social media to copywriting.

Sites like�Wix,�WordPress�and�Squarespace�make launching a blog easy. You can bring in cash through affiliate marketing links on your blog and reach a broader audience by cross-posting on sites like�Facebook�and�Medium.

Programming is a hot industry with an unquenchable thirst for talent, professionally trained or not. There are numerous freelancing sites that connect coders and programmers with people seeking those services.�Rent-A-Coderr,�Codeable�and�Toptal�are just a few examples.