Choosing Odd Jobs
Look into manual labor odd jobs if you like working with your hands. If you’ve got experience doing yardwork, repairs on houses or cars, or other types of manual labor, look for jobs that are along these lines. Someone might be seeking a handy person who can perform a variety of tasks around their home and property, such as: Painting a fence Mowing the lawn or landscaping Putting up/taking down Christmas lights Cleaning out their gutters Raking leaves Organizing their garage
Watch for administrative odd jobs if you have good organizational skills. There are many different ways to put your skills to work if you can type, file documents, make phone calls, or do other simple office tasks. Watch for personal assistant jobs in your local newspaper or offer your services as an administrative assistant. Some services you might provide include: Organizing contacts and email addresses Making appointments Entering data into an Excel document Editing a resume or cover letter Organizing and filing documents Setting up a blog or website
Give rides or deliver things if you drive and own a car. Companies like Uber and Lyft will help you to find odd jobs if you like to drive. You can create a profile using one of their apps and accept jobs as they are offered to you, such as giving people rides and sometimes even delivering food to them. However, keep in mind that there are rules you’ll need to follow, such as providing a minimum number of rides per week if you’re an Uber or Lyft driver. Download the Uber or Lyft app to your phone to create a profile and start driving.Warning: Be aware that the amount of money you can earn as an Uber or Lyft driver will vary based on your location and how many hours you work each week. In some places, drivers earn as much as $19 per hour, while their earnings might be as low as $8.77 per hour in other places.
Offer your services as a note-writer if you have good handwriting. Sending thank you notes and Christmas cards is good etiquette, but many people lack the time to do this properly. If you have good handwriting, you could offer your services to write notes for people. Offer your services on social media and local classified sites. Create a few samples of your handwriting, such as by writing a simple message in a Christmas card and thank you note. You could even offer to address and mail the letters for an additional fee.
Sell baked goods or work as a kitchen assistant if you enjoy cooking. Whenever someone has a party or other big event, they might be looking for help with preparing the food. You could sell pre-made baked goods to people hosting big events, or offer your services as a kitchen assistant and help prepare the food for the event on site. Try making a list of baked goods you are good at making so that people who might want to hire you can see their options. You could advertise your services on social media and on local classified websites.
Using Job Apps
Try Swagbucks to make money from your normal daily tasks online. This app allows you to earn money for things like watching videos, browsing the internet, and shopping online. This might be a nice way to earn a little extra cash for things you normally do online. You can download the Swagbucks app for your phone or install a toolbar on your web browser. Locate the free app in the app store on your device.
Use Fiverr to find jobs doing skilled and unskilled tasks. This app connects skilled and unskilled workers with people seeking someone to do a specific job. You can choose what tasks you offer and set your own prices. You can charge anywhere between $5 and $995 for a task. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, you might charge $20 to design a website logo for someone. Or, if you’re a writer, you might charge $50 to write an article for a website. This app is available for free in the app store for your device.
Bid on jobs using Task Rabbit to find local work. If you want to do odd jobs locally, download the Task Rabbit app and make a profile. This will connect you with local people who are looking for someone to perform simple tasks, such as cleaning, running errands, or doing yardwork. Keep in mind that the lowest bidder is the one who gets the job on Task Rabbit. Consider the least amount of money you are willing to accept for a job before you bid on it. Find the free app in the app store for your device.
Download Amazon Mechanical Turk to perform human intelligence tasks. If you’re looking for odd jobs that you can perform online in your spare time, Amazon Mechanical Turk may be a good option for you. This app will connect you with employers seeking someone to do human intelligence tasks, also known as HITs, which may involve things like identifying photos to help websites develop CAPTCHA systems or rating the helpfulness of an image. Download this free app from the app store on your device.Tip: Keep in mind that you’ll have to work quickly to make money on this app. However, people who work very efficiently can make $10 or more per hour.
Try Gigwalk to get paid for checking prices and promotions. If you want to do odd jobs while you’re shopping or running errands, Gigwalk might be a good option. This app will connect you with jobs that require you to physically visit local stores and check things like prices, promotional displays, and products. You’ll confirm that you’ve completed the task using geo-tagged photos. Check the app store on your device to find this free app.
Look into Fancy Hands to perform administrative tasks from home. If you have administrative skills, such as data entry, typing, phone etiquette, and more, you might do well with this app. This app connects you to people looking for someone to perform specific administrative tasks for them. Note that a job application is required to perform the tasks, so make sure to emphasize your administrative skills and work experiences. Get this free app from the app store on your device.
Get paid to review phone calls from home using Humanatic. If you enjoy talking on the phone and you’re a good listener, Humanatic may be a good option. This app requires you to listen to phone calls that have been recorded and then rate the customer service afterwards. Keep in mind that this does not pay much. You may only make between $1 and $4.50 per hour with this app. Locate this free app in the app store on your device. Tip: Some odd jobs may even lead to managerial positions or more advanced work within your skill set. However, it may take 1 year or more to reach this level.
Finding Odd Jobs in Other Ways
Identify any special training, skills, or certifications you have. Although you may be able to make some money with general skills, you may make more money if you use any special skills that you have. Take some time to identify your existing skills before you decide what app to download. For example, if you have data entry experience, you may be able to find data entry jobs using an online app. If you’ve got housekeeping experience, then you could use an app to find housekeeping jobs.
Use job search engines to check for open positions. Look for jobs by searching your local and state job banks, checking job postings through local news sources, and using major job search engines. This will help you to find every available opportunity and decide what positions you want to apply for. Some popular job search engines include Indeed, Monster, and Google Jobs. You can also check state job banks and classified websites. Plug in keywords to find opportunities that match your qualifications, such as “editing” if you’ve got experience as an editor, or “baker” if you’re hoping to find a job as a baker.
Contact people in your professional network to find out about jobs. Tapping your network may alert you to a job that hasn’t even been posted yet. If you already know someone who works for the organization, this can also help you to get a foot in the door. Try contacting former coworkers, friends from college, and anyone else who might know a position you might be interested in. Tip: You could even post on social media to let people know that you are looking for a job and what kind of job you’re seeking. Someone in your social network might know of an odd job or even a part or full-time position that would be perfect for you!
Attend local jobs events and introduce yourself to new people. Watch for these types of events by checking your local newspaper’s employment section and by contacting local universities. You can also ask friends and family to let you know when they hear about an upcoming event. If you hear about a community job fair or networking event, attend it! Bring business cards, resumes, and samples of your work (if applicable). Be friendly and introduce yourself to 3-5 new people at the event. Make sure to be yourself and don’t embellish your abilities. Be honest with people you meet about what you’re capable of doing and what kind of position you’re seeking.
Work on your online presence to build new connections. Professional social media websites, such as LinkedIn, are important for connecting with other professionals in your field. Develop your LinkedIn page and any other online presence you have, such as an online portfolio or website. Make sure to update your online materials frequently to ensure that prospective employers will see relevant information when the look you up.
Negotiate pay and work hours before accepting a position. Find out what the typical pay is for someone in your field with your experience. However, keep in mind that additional benefits and other perks of the job may be part of the package to make up for lower salary. Evaluate the overall offer before you try to negotiate. Make sure that you are clear on the hours and responsibilities that you’ll have as well.
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