I (the college student in question) had a pipe dream last week- to find a job or some other legitimate means to earn $10,000 this summer. The amount is practical IMO because it would be sufficient to pay my way through school, and put the down payment on a car. Of course, having some small part-time job would still be needed to cover personal expenses later on, but that much dough could give me a big head start.
If you’re in the frame of mind to just devote the summer to it, I’ll suggest looking into work on a drilling rig or in a petrochemical plant. Many don’t require experience to start, and they pay relatively well. I just used an inflation calculator to figure what the 1974 chemical plant job that grubsteaked my first year of college paid, and in 2001 dollars it came to $52,000.
Work for daddy.
smuggle coke?
If your a man get a muscle job like the above mentioned oil rig hand. If your a woman look into stripping. Stay away from those ‘alsakan fishing’ jobs that advertise in college newspapers. They are dangerous.
I also hear horror stories about the Alaskan fishing jobs. But, they do pay very well.
Try a pharmaceutical study–ten years ago, they paid something like $100 a day, and there were studies that lasted from one day to a whole year. Robert Rodriguez financed his first movie that way–I believe it was El Mariachi.
Grubsteak? I think I let the grub dominate there.
You don’t say where you are, but many bartenders in top bars in top locations pay a lot (under the table, in tips). I used to be a bartender in college and could easily pull in $300 - $400 a night in tips alone. This was in a very upscale hotel/bar in New Orleans. The problem is that this type of deal is fairly rare. You need to be in the right location, have the right look, and have some bartending skills. Needless to say, there are a lot of young hopefulls that have the same goal. Most bars that can offer such clientel will make you bar-back at minimum wage for a few months before you get a shot to bartend.
The other good moneymaker that I found is in catering. I worked in a tuxedo as a wedding catering staffer all through college. It averaged about $20 an hour plus the occasional $100 tip from the bride and groom. I got paid on commision so it varied by function. This type of deal can work but you get hired by function so, although the money is fairly good, you need to have connections with catering managers to get enough work earn the money that you are looking for.
Don’t discount being a waiter at an upscale restaurant either. The work is a bitch but it to can pay fairly well or not well at all depending on the establishment and it’s customers.
A friend of mine runs a fish processing operation in Alaska during the summers. They hire lots of college kids, and from how I have heard her describe it, it doesn’t sound dangerous – sorting fish on large tables is the one job I remember. She took several local kids up there last summer, and she’s not the type to put teenage girls she knows in a dangerous position. Maybe the dangerous ones are working on fishing boats?
And yes, they work their asses off (6 hours on, 6 hours off, repeat for a few months) while the fish are running, and come back with a pile of cash.
A gigolo.
It seems like the real key is to find a job where housing and/or meals are provided. That way, the money you do make almost all goes to your bank account, leading to maximal savings. And if the job is in a remote location, even better, since there won’t be anything to spend the money on.
if you are in the pocono mountain area of pa i will pay you $10,000 and give you room and board for the months of june july and august working in my restaurant(7 days a week) on the average of 16 hours a day
General Questions is for questions that have factual answers. IMHO is for opinions and polls.
This is more of a poll than a General Question.
Off to IMHO.
DrMatrix - General Questions Moderator
Hey, I’m not a college student, but I’m in the poconos, would you hire me ?
How does one apply for these Alaskan fishing jobs? How much money can you get?
I read a news article last year listing the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. Yep, you guessed it, Alaskan (ocean) fisherman was the #1 most dangerous. Good luck!
My company shares offices with a drilling company, so I checked on the rig deal.
With no experience necessary, they pay $14/hour for an 84 hour week, with time and a half for everything past 40 hours, plus $20/day for personal expenses. You work a week on and a week off. I asked and was told some people do work on two rigs, so they work continuously. Hope this helps.
Hey, Ringo, is that company hiring? How do I get in touch with them?
Yes, they’re hiring all the time. I’ll send you an email.