In this article we share 7 jobs that pay well and help you acquire important skills for you in your career.

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There are tons of jobs that a student can take; they vary in skill level required, schedule and their usefulness for your future life. We will always advocate for finding a part-time job that speaks to your interests, your strengths and your career goals.

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Fitness Instructor

We chose this job for 2 reasons: it pays really well, it goes at around 28$ per hour on average, and it helps you do one thing that’s very important in the western world - networking. As a fitness instructor, you get to meet many different people as you help them reach their fitness goals. 

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This will allow you to socialize, practice your English and make new friends. Plus, those who can afford to hire a personal trainer are usually folks with higher disposable income as well - so you will have an opportunity to make friends and learn from those who are already fairly successful in their field.

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In order to become a fitness instructor, we highly recommend getting a certification, this will add credibility and structure to your work. Once you have that, you can choose to either work for yourself or join a fitness centre of your choice. Being a fitness instructor also provides a great level of flexibility since it’s up to you and your client when you want to train together.

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This job is good if you are extraverted, and is very relevant if you’re studying in a health-related field. If you’d like to become one, just search for some local gyms where you live or will be living and see if they’re hiring and what you need to do to qualify!

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Bartender

Bartender job is a very lucrative one, especially if you are a social, extraverted person. It’s very common among students thanks to its flexible work hours - but do be prepared to work nights and weekends for that. Bartenders are usually paid the base legal wage which differs from province to province, but tips are where the magic happens.

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It is standard in Canada to tip at least 15% and sometimes even more, so depending on where and how long you work and how good your jokes are, you can make anywhere between 50$ to 200$ or even more on top of your basic hourly wage. The sky is the limit and the cool thing about working as a bartender is - you don't need to have a lot of training.

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You will get to meet a lot of people, socialize and have fun doing it. This job will teach you good communication, conflict resolution and team work skills.

If you are studying entertainment, marketing or business, this job will help you gain valuable skills for your career. If you’re ready to apply for bartending jobs, the easiest thing you could do is to make a list of your favourite bars in the area and ask if they’re hiring!

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Content creator

This one is an umbrella job for all sorts of content - it could be copywriting, photography, video, or even visual design. It all depends on what your area of interest and talents are. The hourly rate for a content creator ranges from 15 to 150 dollars per hour or even more - it all depends on your niche and the type of content you decide to create.

Before you say this is not for you, consider this - oral & written communication, social media, and graphic design have been among the most in-demand skills in North America these days. Rightfully so - just look at your day-to-day activities as you check your email, scroll through social media or read an article - someone has created it and that someone could be you!

Becoming a content creator while you’re at school can help you grow especially if you’re studying in a creative, marketing or communications field. It will help you build your own portfolio which will make it a lot easier to get a good job afterwards, or if you’re really enjoying it and are successful at it, you could become a freelancer - and you’ll get to choose your own hourly rate.

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If you decide to become a content creator, think about your medium of choice - is it writing, video, photo, or graphic design? You can then search for job postings in that field, or simply register on freelancing websites like Fiverr or Upwork, where you could pick up your work.

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Website Tester

If content creation is not for you, you still want a job that’s creative and you’d still rather work with computers than people, software/website testing is a job you should consider and the hourly rate starts at 20$ per hour.

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Website testers are essentially what it sounds like - it’s folks who test websites to make sure that it works, doesn’t have bugs and is user friendly. The website tester’s goal is to find and report on issues on the website, most often once the website is built and before it goes live to the public.

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Website testing is good for those who have good attention to detail, enjoy creatively breaking things and don’t mind some monotony in their work from time to time. Web testing also gives you a good basis for transitioning into other jobs in tech like engineering, project and product management, or customer success.

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Virtual Assistant 

It’s an ideal job if you want to work remotely, and are still on the introverted side - you don’t want to interact with people face to face. Demand for this job has been on the rise along with remote work being on the rise. The rate for this job starts at 20 Canadian dollars per hour.

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Virtual assistants are usually hired by busy professionals or small business owners to help them with daily tasks, scheduling, appointment setting, IT, research, and other things. If you like to work alone and like to coordinate or organize things - this might be the right job for you.

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If you are studying to become a project manager, coordinator, analyst, or even entrepreneur, becoming a Virtual Assistant will allow you to get exposed to different parts of the business and gain relevant experience. If you’re ready to explore virtual assistant jobs, you can check out job postings on common career websites like indeed.ca, alternatively, we recommend websites like Virtual Gurus or Magestic, these websites specialize on hiring virtual assistants. 

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Tutor/Teacher’s Assitant

If you excel in some subjects and feel confident you could share your knowledge with others, you can become a tutor and help younger students with their classes, or maybe help high school pupils pass their exams with flying colours. An average salary for a tutoring or a teacher’s assistance position can be around 25$ per hour.

Another option for you is to become a teacher’s assistant, but it may be more challenging since you’d have to build a relationship with the teachers first.

Becoming a teacher’s assistant or tutor allows you to meet a lot of people and build a reputation for creating value for others. A teacher’s assistant position can help you excel academically and collect references for your future jobs, or could open doors for your academic or teaching career! Teaching in Canada pays pretty well.

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In order to become a teacher’s assistant or a tutor, you’d need to have good time management skills, be organized, have good attention to detail and have good communication skills. Passion for the subject always helps you excel at it too! Teaching helps you develop leadership and organizational skills that will help you no matter which career you pursue.

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In order to find a teacher’s assistant role you better approach teachers or look for job postings on campus. You’ll need to be proactive and diligent to be a preferable candidate.

If you’re considering starting tutoring you can start by letting your classmates know that. Word of mouth will help you gain more and more clients easily. You can also join courses Facebook groups and communities to spread the word even more.

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Community manager

If you’re tech-savvy and like to spend your time online in discussion forums, you should become a community manager. These days many influencers have their own communities on different social networks. Given the nature of this job, it’s well suited for both introverts and extroverts.

An average salary of a community manager starts at 25$ per hour.

A community manager is responsible for managing and moderating online conversations, making sure that all the questions that people ask are answered. They also encourage the community members to interact and engage with each other. 

A good community manager is creative, always willing to help and is, ideally, excited about the topic the community is built around. You should be engaging, but also attentive to make sure that everyone in the community follows guidelines and rules. This job is fully remote and does not require any face-to-face real life interactions, that is why it’s a good fit for both introverts and extroverts!

Community management helps you develop your writing skills, as well as learn more about people’s behaviours. If you’re studying in any marketing, public relations or communications fields, this job will give you a valuable experience to spearhead your future career.

If you want to become a community manager, you can just make a list of your favorite influencers or communities, and reach out to them asking them if they needs any paid help.

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Remember, your jobs during student times should serve as a booster for your future career or maybe it will even help you discover passions and strengths you didn’t know you had! Your student years are all about building your network and the reputation.

Don’t settle for simple choices or quick cash, that don’t help you grow, or roles that you don’t enjoy. They will just take your precious energy away.

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