Non-Traditional Summer Jobs for College Students

They’ll Need a Snack After a Long Day’s Work!

With the academic year cut off abruptly due to coronavirus, and most college kids returning home much earlier than expected, the one positive thing is that the early dismissal from in-person classes has given them an extended opportunity to earn money this summer.

With grocery stores, delivery services, and big box stores hiring like crazy to meet their customers’ demands and fill the shelves, there are many great part-time job opportunities available right now. But those kinds of jobs aren’t for everyone.

If your college student is home from school and looking for more interesting ways to make money this summer, check out this list of non-traditional job ideas we assembled just for them!

Skilled Labor Jobs

If your college student took technical classes in high school, or is a self-taught genius at home improvement or some other trade, summer is the perfect time to put those skills to good use.

As people are spending more and more time at home, they’re identifying projects around the house or yard that need to be done. A handy college student with a flexible schedule is the perfect person to tackle those tasks. Whether it’s carpentry work, light plumbing repair, or even landscaping, the hands-on young adult will find this job to be quite rewarding.

Maybe your college student prefers the garage. With people choosing to take road-trip vacations over flying to exotic destinations this summer, oil changes are about to become an in-demand service. Oil change technicians spend their days helping people take care of their vehicles and assessing systems for safety issues, like low tires or burned-out headlights. It’s also great practice for maintaining their own vehicle, too.

Joining a summer construction crew is hard work, but it can be very lucrative for a college student looking to put in the hours. Roofing, fencing, and even house siding companies get more business in the warmer months and are looking for temporary help. Learning these skills will also come in handy when your college student buys their own house one day, too.

College kids coming home after a long day working these intensely physical jobs are going to be hungry. Stock your pantry with a monthly snack box subscription from My College Crate. Our care packages ship monthly so you never have to add a list of snack food items to your grocery list.

Creative Jobs

Is your college kid more artistic than into technical work? There are definitely unique jobs for them, too! They’ll spark their imagination and create amazing things all summer long in jobs like these.

Learning graphic design in college? Search gig work websites to find small businesses who need help with their logos or web presence. They can choose how much they’d like to be paid for the work and will learn what it’s like to bid competitively for freelance jobs, too. Plus, freelance work is a great way to build design portfolios and fill up their resumes. Gig work is also great for aspiring writers and journalists.

College students with a passion for fine art might enjoy working in a small, private art gallery or artist’s shop. Breaking into the art industry is difficult, but building contacts while they’re in college will make networking a breeze after graduation. Plus, who doesn’t want to hang out with beautiful works of art all day long?

Fuel your college student’s creative brain with a snack box from My College Crate. They can chow down on our sweet and savory treats to find inspiration for their next project.

Jobs for Caretakers

Did you raise an inspiring nurse or other professional caregiver? Society would crumble without their help — and these summer jobs require their tender loving care.

Animal shelters need workers to feed and care for homeless pets everyday. They need people to bathe dogs looking for a new home, and clean up kennels and cages to keep the animals comfortable. Summer is a common time for animal shelters to get booming populations of kittens and puppies looking for families, and it’s all hands on deck to take care of those baby critters. 

College students pursuing nursing degrees might find job satisfaction by working as a certified nursing assistant, or CNA, in a local nursing or assisted living facility. Caring for the elderly and other vulnerable populations is an important job, and it takes a very special kind of person to do it. Is your child that special person? We hope so!


Help your thoughtful college student pack an awesome lunch before heading to work, or stock their work locker with snacks from our college student care packages

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for accuracy. It was originally published on June 8, 2020.