Today we touch on what are, in my opinion, the two best college jobs a person can have.
Here’s the plan. Let me lay the basic description for both jobs first. Then I’ll go over my pros. Finally, the cons.
Here goes nothing.
THE JOBS
Dominos Pizza and Valet driver. Yep. That’s it. I’ve worked them both and had great experiences during college. Neither were the coolest jobs nor the prettiest. They got the job done.
DOMINOS
Basically, I delivered pizzas for 4-5 hours a day from around 5pm to close. Sunday-Thursday, the store stayed open until 10pm which meant I usually got home around midnight. Friday and Saturday, I delivered until midnight which meant I got home around 2am.
I would try to average 2-4 deliveries an hour during my time on the clock. This usually meant taking double and triple deliveries and mapping out my route in advance. It helped, that I knew the area well, but I would always pick the brains of my fellow drivers for shortcuts, etc. This was before the time of Waze, but the delivery areas are never too large, so memorizing the routes is fairly easy.
THE MATH
If I delivered 2-4 orders an hour, the math worked out like this.
The average Dominos order hovered around $17. I usually received $2-$4 a delivery. I received around $5 an hour in wages as well.
$3 x 4 =$12 an hour. 4.5 hours x $12= $50 a night in tips plus another $20 or so in salary. If you have a gas efficient car, you can actually make money with the mileage Dominos pays out. Unfortunately, I drove a mustang, so no luck there.
Basically, I made between $70-$80 a night.
I worked my way up to closing shifts and was able to close 5-6 nights a week.
My weekly takes were between $350-$480. Not bad for a college kid.
Late at night, I was able to work inside making pizzas or helping with other tasks around the store. A great staff made the job much more enjoyable.
The job ended up being a truly “eat what you kill” situation. The harder I worked, the more I made and the better shifts I received. I went in to the job with a decent attitude and slowly honed my skills for the first summer. During school, I would work holiday breaks and all summer.
Some nights were better than others, but overall, this was a killer job for a young guy
VALET
On the whole, this job might be perfect for the aspiring collegian. If you can drive a stick shift (you need to learn this skill) you can literally drive around in fancy cars and get paid for it.
Most valet jobs don’t start until after 5pm and only last until the rush hits for the restaurant. I usually left before 10pm. Tips are almost always decent (especially if the business comps the parking).
For those attending summer school or regular college, night jobs are a must. Instead of killing yourself working until after midnight, try a job with set hours where you are incredibly busy for several hours and then get to go home.
Some things to think about:
- some people are jerks . . .it comes with the job
- drive carefully . . .your company is insured but you don’t want to explain a wrecked Ferrari
- drive sober
- be polite and efficient without rushing . . .sometimes a jog is better than a sprint
- dress for the weather . . .we wore pants in the summer, but you need comfortable clothes and very comfortable shoes
- if you run into problems with a car (like I did when trying to start a Dodge Viper) ask for help
THE CONS
Every job has a negative or two . . .Dominos and Valet driving included. Here are my lists:
DOMINOS
- The weather is not your friend. The store is usually 15 degrees warmer than outside and the rain and snow can ruin your night
- Some people don’t tip . . .and you still have to be nice to them
- Some of your co-workers don’t want to be there and show it . . .the customer orders a pepperoni pizza and the order says anchovies (you always lose this one)
- Those long nights tend to add up if you are taking morning classes. Take naps . . .trust me.
VALET
- Some companies limit their tips to hourly . . .you always lose when this happens
- Most of your co-workers are good, but if you have a lazy or slow co-worker, this can ruin your night
- Some cars are straight up nasty
- The job is outside . . . rain or shine
- Limited hours means limited earning power unless you want to work multiple jobs in one night.
CONCLUSION
All in all, these two jobs are great for summer or holiday breaks. Do them enough, and you might burn out with a heavy class load. They sure beat taking out loans. That’s it for the two best jobs for college students.
Tell me about other great job ideas in the comments!
Stay rational
-B&T