Most student jobs are pretty much the same. You can shelve books in the library, swipe cards at the gym or clean up food fights in the dining hall. But those who have special skills, interests or experience can seek out more interesting student jobs. Think tutoring, assisting professors, or working in labs or museums. Adventurous students may find some unique jobs out there... jobs that require an open mind... jobs that are just a little weird. Take a look at these real-life unusual student jobs.
Worm Watcher
Official job title: Great Worms Project Research Assistant
Pay: $10-12 per hour
Location: University of Minnesota - Duluth
Student job in a nutshell: Monitor invading exotic earthworms in the state’s forests and other natural habitats. Duties will include earthworm identification, database and website organization and management, processing of samples.
Student job requirements:
o Good attention to details even when task is repetitive
o Experience using dissecting microscopes a plus, but not required
Translation: You can't get grossed out easily; must be interested in the insides and outsides of earthworms, no matter how squishy.
Baseball Game DJ
Official job title: Music Computer Operator
Pay: $12.50 an hour
Location: Yale University
Student job in a nutshell: Playing various types of music during home baseball games.
Student job requirements:
o Must have knowledge of baseball
o Must be available 4 hours per week
Translation: You're that guy who hits a key on the computer to play "Who Let the Dogs Out" and the "Charge!" song over and over and over again.
Petticoat Wrangler
Official job title: Costume Lending Assistant
Location: Tufts University
Pay: $10 – $12 per hour
Student job in a nutshell: Maintain and care for the drama department’s costume stock. This involves making and keeping appointments with designers looking to borrow, rent and return costumes.
Student job requirements:
o Must be in constant communication with the costume shop supervisor
o Must be diligent about restocking clothes that have been returned
o Knowledge of period dress a plus
Translation: If you can't tell a ruff from a cravat, don't bother applying.
Puppet Master
Official job title: Student Museum Specialist
Location: University of Connecticut
Pay: $9 per hour
Student job in a nutshell: Help with different museum tasks at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, including cataloguing and preservation of puppets and archives.
Student job requirements:
o An affinity for puppets
o Knowledge of Filemaker Pro
Translation: Do you have an intense fear of puppets (also called pupaphobia)? Do you feel nausea or anxiety when you see their unblinking wooden faces? Yeah, maybe a student job waiting tables is a better choice after all.
Looking for a non-weird way to make money this semester? Search for student jobs by ZIP code.
About Amy White