8 No-Experience Jobs for Students to Make Money in 2024

Today I’ll be going over some jobs to help students like you and I make money. Because we could all use some money couldn’t we?

That especially goes for students who are trying to enjoy young-life while paying tuition and possibly supporting themselves.

But sadly, money doesn’t grow on trees(oh, if only). Most of us gotta work for our pennies. 

This begs a question though: How are you supposed to get hired with no experience? Further, how do you get any experience if you can’t get hired? This seems like a system that was bound to fail.

I’m assuming that’s why you’re here. You need to make money; you need a job, but the extent of your workplace experience was ‘Bring Your Kid to Work Day’.  

Now you want to know what jobs you can land as a student when you have little experience. 

To that I say: Good on you! And also don’t panic, I’ve got you.For today’s post, I’ve curated a list of some of the best jobs for students with little work experience.

Some of these can actually be pretty fun too! Some of them are in-person jobs, and some are remote, but hopeully you’ll find something to suit your preferences.

Babysitting

I know, I know, you’re probably thinking; “Lex, everyone knows about babysitting”. But this is a pretty good one to build up your resume and make some money on the side. I say it’s underrated. 

You basically play with little kids(note, they can be adorable, but sometimes evil), feed them, and send them to bed. Then you can spend the rest of your shift watching tv, doing homework, or pretty much any quiet activity.

The best part is, if you’re good at it, their kids will like you. This is good because families will be calling you before looking for other babysitters. This gives you more opportunities to win over more families.

Oh, did I mention you set your own rates? I suggest speaking with the family and coming up with something that works for both of you. They will really like you then.

To start this one up, you could go to a site like care.com and sign up. Just know this on requires you to be 18+. Write a profile on yourself, include any first aid/childcare training you might have, and insert a picture and a rate.

Now you either wait for families to contact you, or reach out to families looking for a sitter. Bonus points if they need a regular sitter.

Barista/Server

From what I’ve observed, this job can be pretty popular among students. The pay isn’t bad either, depending on the restaurant’s niche.

I should note however, that if you have a spinal or foot problem, wearing heels could be a no.

If you are interested in this job and have a condition, ask for an exemption. Or, look to another restaurant that either has casual footwear and/or will exempt you. Your health comes first, amigos!

Sport Instructor

I can definitely speak about this one from experience.

In high school, I was a swimming instructor but had to leave because of a program I was taking on. But it turns out I made an excellent impression because they hired me back after two years.

This shows that these kinds of jobs aren’t necessarily looking for experience. They’re looking for the best and most passionate teachers.

It’s proven great because why do something you hate when you can do something you love, makes you money, and that keeps you active.

It doesn’t need to be a swim instructor though, I had friends looking to be snowboard and dance instructors. Point is, do whatever sport you love and are good at.

It’s also pretty cool. And it looks great on a resume! I should mention though, most of these jobs require you to be 16+ to apply.

Tasks include creating lesson plans, enthusiastically delivering the lesson, and reporting students’ progress. 

If you are interested in this one, look up the requirements in your province/state, and get those in. You can apply for the job with your lifetime of experience in playing the sport and get hired. Have fun!

Work from home jobs

Working from home can be great for students to make money because of the convenience of working from anywhere.

A few of the from-home jobs that exist are:

• Social Media Manager: Manage posts and other social media related marketing. Put those Gen Z skills to use!
• Virtual Assistant: Handle bookkeeping, respond to emails, order inventory, etc. Basically keeping the business running smoothly from the backend.
• Proofreader: Exactly what it sounds like! If you have excellent language skills in any given language, you can proofread for someone who needs it.

If you want a full list of from-home jobs for students, I’m currently working on a post about online ways to make money. Sign up for my newsletter to get alerts for new posts, and to stay tuned for this post!

Dog Walker

Don’t let the movies deceive you, there is a better way!

When I take my dog on his walks, I see at least 5 dog walkers every day, and they all have 6-7 dogs or so. The key here is to only walk dogs that are off-leash trained and take them to a nice dog park. The kind of dog park that has the rolling hills and is dense with trees.

Take them somewhere like that where you can walk around with them and let them play with other dogs as you gracefully walk alongside them.

Now let’s do the math: If you charge around $15 per dog for an hour long walk, and you have 5 dogs with you, you just got paid $75, that’s like 5 hours of work in one!

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a great workday! You could even walk them on weekends of days when you don’t have class for multiple shifts. 10 hours of pay in only 2 hours? Yes, please!

Store Clerk

I’m sorry, this is another one you probably know. I can’t not put it on this list when so many people I know work at the same store though. There must be something about this job right?

Well, that’s what I was on the hunt to find out: Can being a store clerk make you money with no formal work experience?

After doing my research, I noticed that for one, you don’t need any priors, and you can work at a store you like if that sounds more exiting than a grocery store. Like Footlocker over Walmart.

I know your resume isn’t overflowing right now, but putting in extra-curriculars or clubs can go a long way. Employers will be able to see the skills you’ve gained from these, don’t discount your notable achievements too!

In addition, standing all shift can be good for you as a student. I think you know what I mean by you need to stand any chance you get.

These jobs typically look for people who are passionate about their company and who possess the same values. In your cover letter, mention how you’ve been a customer for a very long time and know the store inside and out already.

Jobs in Your School

These jobs are absolutely fantastic because they’re so convenient. It’s a bit vague without examples though, so let me give you a few:

1. Recreation Center Receptionist/Clerk

I’d say this is pretty straightforward, a receptionist at your school’s rec-center. Basically just check people into the centre and register people for any lessons or camps your school might be offering.

Additionally, most universities have a gym that requires admission, this is a similar place to work. Just let people in and out of the gym.

2. Library Assistant

This one is pretty nice, you put away books in the correct system used by your library, and do any other tasks the librarian might need you to do like scanning in the returned books. Overall, it’s a nice, quiet place to work!

As an extension, you could work at your school’s bookstore. Universities often prioritize their students as workers so this gives you a leg up, even without experience.

3. Shops Around the School

This can mean close to anything. If your school’s cafeteria is like a food court, there you go, plenty of opportunities. If not, there has to be some kind of gift shop.

Keep in mind though, that most high schools don’t have shops like this, or a rec centre for that matter. So, this only really applies to post-secondary institutions that usually have a food court. But maybe your school has a Jugo Juice nearby where you can be a juice-maker or cashier. Maybe you need to do both for the job!

Overall, jobs around your school can be pretty great mainly for the convenience of it. And it has the potential for you to make good money if you choose the right one.

Animal Care Attendant

This one is super fun! ACAs take care of animals in places like vet clinics, zoos, and shelters.

I can also speak about this one from experience. I used to volunteer at a pet store when I was about 12/13. It was the best day out of the entire week for me, I really enjoyed it.

Some days I got to work with the reptiles and others with small animals. To this day, I still remember how to bathe and feed every animal I worked with. 

I can imagine it’s more exciting if you’re getting paid to do it. If you’re good with animals, look for any pet stores, vet clinics, zoos, or shelters that need extra help. You never know who’s hiring for what position.

Bonus: How to Make your resume look better than it is

Ooo, bonus tip time!

Sometimes you gotta help yourself out where you can. I know it feels like bragging if you put stuff you’re proud of on it, but do it. You need to brag where you can

Don’t worry though, it’ll all be good.

1. Extra-Curriculars

Remember what I said earlier about putting clubs and sports teams on your resume? That’s experience!

If you wanted to, you could put it under ‘Extra-curriculars’ and give it a whole other section.

2. Volunteering

If school is still running, find a volunteer opportunity and spend a couple months there. See what you learn.

Have a goal job in mind when choosing it. After, I would say three months, you can plop that on your resume and brag about how great you were at organizing files and greeting clients.

3. Online Courses

This one can save your butt. If you want to be a babysitter for example, families are looking for qualified people. Hop online and see what courses are running about childcare, babysitting, health and safety, or anything else related.

I know there are a lot of places you can take free courses too, like community centres or libraries, figure out what you can do, and which ones will eat up less time for you so you can get to work pronto!

Conclusion

As students, we could always use some extra cash, but we don’t always have the experience that employers consider ‘appropriate’.

With that being said, I really hope that one or more of my suggestions helped you find the right job for you! Let me know in the comments if there are any other jobs that aren’t on this list. I’ll do a deep dive and update my post to include your suggestions.

Moreover, if there is any other topic you would like a post on, let me know that as well! I always do my research before writing, so if I do end up writing on your topic, it will be all facts, no cap.

Well, tysm for making it to the very end, I’ll see y’all in another one!

That’s all from me, adios for now.

Done reading? Check out some of my other posts:

• A Perspective on School Clubs
• 7 Small Daily Habits to Boost Productivity
• 8 No-Experience Jobs for Students to Make Money in 2024
• 5 Super Simple Steps to The Perfect Dorm
• 7 Tried and Tested Secrets to Beat Procrastination