As a high school student, cash seems hard to come by if you’re not employed. Expenses like the occasional coffee, movie tickets, and gas are typical for teenagers. Unfortunately, parents may not always cover the cost of adolescent whims, which to us may seem like high-priority necessities. Fear not, for there are plenty of opportunities for some odd and truly unexpected jobs that pay!
First off, the on-going after school Success Program at Westhill is a wonderful way to get involved with other students, particularly underclassmen, who require extra help in their academic classes. Tutors may accumulate community service hours, which may be beneficial for senior National Honor Society members, or even get paid for their services. In addition, it’s a wonderful activity to note on college resumes, though not something you’d expect to get paid for in a school setting. Senior Farha Islam said, “It makes you feel extra-responsible because you’re actually getting paid to tutor students.” She specializes in math and world history subject matter.
The Success program has been running for 10 years at this point and is directed by Ms. Midy. There are currently approximately 35 enrolled tutors and about 90 students signed up for help. “I definitely see that not only does the program improve kids academically, but socially as well,” said Ms. Midy. “They enjoy being around other students who also need help.” It’s a truly rewarding program for both parties – the tutor as well as the tutee – and Westhill students are really excited about it. “Once they get through the door they wanna come back,” said Ms. Midy, amidst laughter and with a smile on her face.
There’s still time to join: applications (for tutors as well as tutees) are available in Ms. Midy’s office, which is located in the Career Center.
Another slightly less glamorous opportunity to obtain some quick cash remains tucked away on the third floor of the Stamford Town Center downtown. C & C Market Research has been surveying and interviewing the general public for more than 20 years, collecting their opinions on an array of products. These include surveys on new movie trailers, taste tests, new commercial evaluations, and even cosmetic and food placement tests. Senior Chris Colon speaks about his experience at C & C, “It was really quick and easy. Getting $2 was totally worth the time spent taking a short 30 minute survey about a movie trailer for The Age of Adeline.” Although you most likely won’t end up making a handsome salary here, C & C Market Research is a useful and fast way to make a few extra dollars on the side.
Finally, for those intrigued by the popular blogging website Tumblr, monetizing your blog seems like an irresistible way to earn a small monthly income while simultaneously doing what you love. Once a Tumblr user has added a considerable amount of content to build up their site, a large audience base is key, in this case translating to preferably a couple thousand followers. The most common way to convert blogs into dollars is using ads, for instance, MatomyMedia, BidVertiser, and the most popular Google Adsense to generate views, clicks, and hits. Other options include using affiliate programs, which are win-win situations for both parties where the blog helps online stores and shopping websites sell their products, who in return pay the blogger 4-5% percent of the selling price of the product. Senior Zoë Pollard, who has been using Tumblr for several years now, said, “I definitely wouldn’t be ashamed to be paid to blog.” Users with at least a thousand followers should definitely look into this option.
There are plenty of other odd job opportunities for teenagers out there!
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