Six Side Jobs for Seminarians

Seminary doesn’t pay for itself, nor does the rent. But, what jobs are best to balance the study load and the budget? After talking with some seminarians, here are six ideas to get you started finding a job to help support your study habits.

1. Security

Working security often provides ample time to study. The off shifts make it possible to go to school full-time and still work.

2. Starbucks

They pay well for a side job and if you work 20 hours or more, you are eligible for health coverage for you and your dependents. They also start shifts really early in the morning, so it might work with your class schedule.

3. Summer House Sitting

Want to study this summer and not pay rent? Why not look into jobs house sitting for those that vacate for the summer (would be nice to vacate for the summer, right?). In our seminary town, jobs are posted for such opportunities on our seminary job board.

4. Pool Cleaning

Not glamorous, but very busy in the summer! You might be able to work extra hours in the summer and when school time comes, not a many clients call. Most pool cleaning companies will train you.

5. Quality Control from Home

I know a guy that listens to recorded customer service calls and analyzes the information for quality control. He gets paid about $12/hour and can work whenever he gets to it, even if he can’t sleep at 3am.

6. Pet Care

All students need some fresh air. Why not take a few neighborhood furry friends out on a walk and get paid for it? Professional dog walkers are sought after in most urban cities where careers take more time than animal care allows.

These are just a few ideas to help you think out of the box so you can get into the books without worry about the bills. It would be great if we all were able to work well-paying ministry jobs while going to seminary, but that is few and far between. Stay active in ministry while going to school, but side jobs might just get the bills taken care of while God is preparing your mind and heart for the next assignment.

Gaining Biblical training is mentally rigorous. Hopefully your side job does not have to be.