Our Best Choice of Part-Time Jobs for Students in Northern Colorado

Life as a student can be expensive when you take into account tuition fees, student accommodation and utility bills. When transport and other living costs (groceries and entertainment) are factored in, going to college can come at a hefty cost. In Northern Colorado itself, the approximate cost of studying can run anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000.

While working might be the last thing you want to do after attending lectures all day, a part-time job can mean you no longer have to worry about paying basic living costs or relying on your parents or student funding to get by. What’s more, you may be able to gain valuable work experience to add to your resume.

If you are thinking about working a part-time job alongside your studies, you’ll want a job that’s flexible, convenient and doesn’t take too much time away from academic work. In this article, we’ll discuss our best choice of part-time jobs for students in Northern Colorado.

As competition for part-time student jobs can be high, you’ll need a good resume that highlights your skills and competencies up stand out from the crowd. With a resume builder, such as Jobseeker, all the essential sections are clearly laid out, so all you need to do is add your information.

• On-campus jobs 

One of the main benefits of working at an on-campus job is that you often fit it around your class schedule and other commitments. On-campus jobs also often allow me to work more closely with teaching staff and other students and could open up research or internship opportunities. At the very least, they can help provide letters of recommendation for when you graduate.

So what kinds of jobs are available on campus? These can include providing support to other students with their studies, assisting teaching staff in classes, working in the campus library, coordinating activities as a resident advisor in student accommodation, and more. 

A good place to start is the careers services or careers development office. You could also check the bulletin boards in your department as well as join student organizations to find out which jobs are available.

• Paid internships 

If you have limited work experience, it can be worthwhile to do an internship to learn new skills, make new connections, and more importantly, gain practical work experience. According to research, 56% of interns get a full-time job from internships. This is because many companies see internships as a low-risk way to train someone, get them acquainted with their business, and test their abilities before they hire them full-time.

To increase your chances of securing an internship, it’s important to evaluate your current skills, experience and interests. Once you have an idea of which positions might be a good fit for you, you could visit job sites, your campus careers service or even contact companies directly. 

• Food service jobs

One easy way to make money can be to get a job in the food service industry, which encompasses restaurants, cafeterias and catering companies. While it may not be your dream to juggle trays laden with steaming plates, scrub dirty dishes or take orders from angry customers, you could earn tips in addition to an hourly wage.  

And because many food establishments offer various shifts, there’s a good chance you’ll find a job that fits in with your studies.  What’s more, as most jobs in the good service industry involve multi-tasking and dealing with the public, there are countless opportunities to develop interpersonal skills such as patience, communication, time-keeping and teamwork.

• Retail jobs 

Similarly to the food service industry, retail jobs often come with the advantage of flexible schedules, especially with most major retailers being open around the clock. If you enjoy being around people, can multi-task and handle stressful situations, then a retail job is a suitable choice.

Many retail employers don’t require experience at all as they prefer to train employees on the job, which means the barrier to entry is low. Depending on the company and the industry, you could be serving customers, dealing with customer queries and complaints, ordering and managing stock, arranging products on shelves or helping with promotions.

There are a few ways to get a job in retail. You could walk into a store and ask to see a store manager – this can be an effective tactic if you have a ready-made CV and are dressed smartly, as it demonstrates self-confidence, enthusiasm and courage. Alternative, there’s the option to apply via traditional job sites or directly on the company’s website.

• Freelancing 

If you’re concerned that a part-time job won’t fit in with your busy schedule, it may be worth exploring the option of freelancing, not least because you get to make your hours and can work from the comfort of your home. Freelancing can also provide a great way to strengthen special skills, such as writing, social media or website development.

An option available to every college student is online tutoring. With the rise of online education in recent years, there is an abundance of online platforms requiring tutors in everything from English as a second language to organic chemistry. 

If you spend your days writing essays, freelancing writing is an obvious choice. Whether you enjoy writing blog posts, landing pages or social media captions, the opportunities are endless. And with many other creative jobs, freelance writing allows you to build your portfolio, increasing the odds of you landing your dream job later on.

While it’s not always easy getting clients, platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer and Fiverr allow you to create a profile, add work samples and apply for jobs, without needing to cold-pitch clients.