How to Determine Your Career Path (Pt. 5 Filler Job Ideas)

If you don’t even have a cow to ride, then you’re probably having a very difficult time to pay off all your financial obligations. That’s why a filler job can be very helpful. A filler job is exactly what it sounds like: a job that you get temporarily in order to get you through payments while you are waiting on the possibility of other jobs. There are many different types of filler jobs, but here are some of the ones that I strongly recommend.

1. Tutoring. Tutoring is an awesome and easy way to make a good amount of money for minimal hours. At my tutoring center, we pay our teachers approximately $25 an hour, and most of them work multiple hours a week. The other nice thing about tutoring centers is that most of them don’t start their services till 3:00 PM so you don’t even have to get up early! Mentoring and helping students grow in knowledge can also be very rewarding, and who knows maybe tutoring will make you want to become a teacher?
2. Writing articles for blogs. There are many websites these days looking for writers to post articles on their sites. For example, demand studios is a great opportunity for someone who needs a consistent and steady amount of work, and enjoys writing. Taking a job like this is further beneficial because it can also help improve your writing skills, which is always an admirable trait.
3. Be a waiter/waitress. You’re going to be competing with a lot of aspiring actors/actresses as they basically all use this as their filler job. However, if you can get a decent waiter/waitress job, then you can actually make quite a large sum of money. Tips at nice restaurants can really help your day to day income. As long as you are not impatient (cause I guarantee you will have to serve a lot of a-holes while working), being a waiter/waitress is a great opportunity to make some cash. Scope out a local restaurant that you like, and see if they need some employees.
4. Bartending. You have to get a license for this, but most local junior colleges provide bartending courses that you can attend and get your license in a relatively short amount of time. Bartending is actually quite profitable. Drunk people are willing to fork over a lot of tip money. From what I’ve heard, you can easily make between $150-$400 a single night, especially on a good day.
5. Do some office work. Another recommendation I have is to apply for some office work nearby. There are plenty of doctors/lawyers/etc. that need someone who is competent to handle some of their administrative duties. This type of job is very useful because it helps you to expand your competency with newer computer programs, and also may give you a valuable connection that can really open a lot of job opportunities for you. One of the best ways to get a job is through your network.
6. Find a job anywhere. Honestly, if you are down to your last option, just get a job! Work at Best Buy for a while. Get a job at Sam Ash. Who cares, it’s not like that’s your destination, it’s merely a means to get to an end. I realize, however, that the pride issue may kick in. If you can’t handle it on a pride level, then I guess asking your parents for money is your last/final option.

There are a ton of filler jobs out there available for those who care enough to look. They are definitely not going to be lifetime, but for those who need some money now while applying for jobs, going to grad school, or trying to figure out your life, a filler job can definitely be a good resource. Go out and apply to a local tutoring center (Kaplan, Kumon, Score, Elite, Sylvan, or an Asian one) and get that much needed cash flow!