Students love part-time jobs – in most cases, even depend on them – to supplement their allowance or savings. Those who work while pursuing their tertiary studies demonstrate better time-management skills than their non-working counterparts. They experience responsibility and apply it in their daily lives.
Work experience will look good on your resume after graduation, and the money you make could be used for everyday spending or to pay fees and bills. Here is a selection of part-time jobs that will suit young Malaysians without compromising on your study time.
1. Home tutor
Private home tutoring is popular in Malaysia, where primary and secondary students face increasing academic hurdles, and decreasing trust in the public education system – or simply a determination for their children to succeed – drives parents’ need for tutors.
As a home tutor, you can set your own hours depending on your experience and availability, leaving you ample time for your college classes and other commitments. Tutoring also adds to your personal development, communication skills, and knowledge.
2. Retail assistant
Many retail stores in Malaysia offer perks such as short shifts, discounts, and schedule flexibility for students. Grocery stores or supermarkets often require manpower for simple tasks such as packing groceries, managing logistics, packing shelves, mopping floors, and operating the cash register.
Other stores might even offer a commission as an incentive for you to drive sales for them. Note, however, that being a retail assistant can be tiring as it might require long hours of standing.
3. Promoter
While seemingly similar to being a retail assistant, the job of a promoter is to publicise a company’s products or services in the hopes of attracting customers. Examples include free food tasting, or distributing brochures in high-foot-traffic areas.
Being a promoter is also a great way to enhance your communication skills as you would need to talk to and interact with strangers. It can also help you develop a thick skin as promoters need to be upfront without being offended when they are ignored.
4. Server or barista
This job is for those who enjoy interacting with customers in the food and beverage industry. You could be a food server at a café, or a barista whipping up delicious drinks. Many outlets in Malaysia are always on the lookout for young, part-time employees, including major coffee franchises.
Again, being a server or barista could help you with your listening and communication skills, while instilling traits such as patience, multitasking, and courteousness. It can also be quite satisfying when you notice your hard work leading to loyal customers.
5. Social-media content producer
YouTubers or TikTokers typically work in their own time to produce content, where reportedly every 1,000 views could earn you about RM5. If you are popular, some advertisers might even pay you to create content about their products or services.
Of course, being a social-media influencer isn’t the easiest gig to make money from – a lot of it depends on your online savviness, likeability, and sometimes a good amount of sheer luck.
The bottom line
There are other freelancer jobs available for students such as being a part-time graphic designer or proofreader/editor, but these would depend on the student having specific skills that would allow him or her to fulfill these tasks.
There’s also the option of going down the food- or package-delivery route, but these might require more of a time commitment and could also pose risks if you have to ride a motorcycle.
Students need to evaluate their skills, expectations and commitments to choose the part-time job that best suits them. Good luck!
This article first appeared in jobstore.com, an online job site that specialises in providing jobseekers with the latest job opportunities by matching talented individuals with reputable companies in Malaysia. Find your dream job with over 40,000 job vacancies in Malaysia.