5 Jobs for College Students During Winter Break

Whether you tend to have an on campus job at your school, a job near your campus or you prefer to focus on your studies during the semester, the cash flow can sometimes decrease when you go home for the holidays. Although spending time with your family is highly important, you may have a particularly long winter break and your family may have jobs of their own, and you might not need to spend every moment at home right on top of them. Finding temporary employment can give you something to do while you rake in a bit of extra cash for some holiday spending — that way, you can get some extra special gifts for those you love!

While the jobs you’ll find over winter break might be a bit different from your more traditional work options, they can also comply with your schedule and help you make cash on your own terms, and some of them may even come back to give you a bit of employment next winter. So, what can you get up to this year? Here are just a few of your options for jobs over Christmas break.

1. Seasonal Retail

If you have retail experience, this one could be right up your alley. Around the holiday season — especially right after Thanksgiving — plenty of retail stores of all kinds are on the hunt for temporary employees to help handle the holiday rush. This can work for college students who simply want to make a bit of money and walk away without any commitment once the holiday season is through. While the retail environment might be a bit hectic, it can be worth it for the temporary gig.

2. Babysitting

Plenty of parents with little ones will often find themselves going to friends’ houses, seeing family, or simply in want of some alone time when the hectic holidays hit. If you’re free weekends and evenings, this could be the perfect time to offer your services. Alternatively, many working parents need childcare if their kids’ winter breaks don’t line up with their work schedules. Look on babysitting sites, ask around and see what people in your community need. You may find ample employment opportunities.

3. Pet and House Sitting

If children aren’t really your thing, you can try out another type of sitting. People often go away and visit family for the holidays, or even during the new year. And that makes it the perfect opportunity to house sit or pet sit for someone. If you’re a natural animal lover, you can make some extra cash by taking care of some furry friends, or you can simply water the plants, take out the trash, and check the phone messages if there’s just a home and no pets to speak of. This is a great college winter break job to look for over the holidays. Just like babysitting, you can ask around and offer your services, or even check out some websites that help set up house and pet sitting arrangements. Plus, if you get a few jobs going at a time, you could be looking at some serious cash during your college break.

4. Sell Your Stuff

While winter might not be the best time for a garage sale, the digital age is the prime time to sell your unwanted things and make a quick buck. You can clean out your closet and sell your clothes on resale apps like Depop and Poshmark, or turn to plenty of other resale sites for things like books, video games, and other items you may not want anymore. One person’s junk is truly another’s treasure, and when you get in the groove of it, you could make some good money.

5. Odd Jobs

While some people underestimate the power of odd jobs, they can actually offer some steady pay for your time at home over the winter. If your area happens to be snowy, you may find luck shoveling snow or plowing driveways, but really, you can go with whatever strikes your skill. Fixing things in homes, removing Christmas decorations and taking lights down, or mowing lawns if your area isn’t the snowing type can all make for great options. People always tend to need something done, and being the person who can do it will ultimately serve you well.

Rake In the Extra Cash Over Break

No matter what you do to earn some money this winter, you can find something that’s right for you. Whether you babysit, look over some furry friends, shovel snow, or work at a store offering seasonal help, there’s plenty of opportunity to go with the flow of the season and make a bit of money. There are many possible winter jobs for college students! What do you plan to do this winter break?