Students take online route to earn and learn

Online jobs or business ideas are available to suit the interest, expertise and field of study of students. Says Santanu Paul, CEO and MD of online technology-enabled experiential learning platform TalentSprint: “Online work is critical for Indian students. It is an important way for them to enhance their employability and attractiveness in the job market. It is also a wonderful way to financial independence.”

The earning opportunities include blogging, tutoring, research, surveys, digital marketing, website development, designing, photo editing and selling. Neeti Sharma, Senior VP at human resource outsourcing and staffing firm TeamLease Services says, “You need to pick a suitable job based on your skills, knowledge and aptitude. Keep in mind whatever you do now will shape your career and life after completion of education.”

Take the case of 26 year-old Bibhas Hazari. A student at IIM-Raipur, Hazari’s hobby is photography and photo editing. Now, despite being a full-time student, Hazari makes anything between Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,000 selling his photographs on popular websites. “These websites are one of the best platforms to showcase our talent, create a brand and earn,” he says.

Students looking for assignments and project-based tasks in the information technology, finance or marketing space need to first register on sites like freelancer.in, upwork. com and fiverr.com. “These sites allow students to broadcast their capabilities and skills to a global customer audience and bid for specific assignments and projects where they can make a contribution, while earning valuable pocket money and improving their professional resumes in the process,” says Paul.

Students can create their profiles according to their expertise on the site to gain attention. The advantage of gaining any kind of online job experience is obvious. If an employer has to choose between a fresh graduate with a non-descript resume and a fresh graduate with a resume that shows a track record of freelance work, the latter would have the upper hand.

However, students do need to be careful of frauds. Complaints about fake job sites, nonpayment after completion of project and bank account details compromised abound. Websites seeking a deposit even before offering a job opening need to be avoided. “Before you take up an online job, understand the company that you will be working for. Do your due diligence and talk to people from similar fields to get genuine feedback,” cautions Sharma.

This article was published in Economic Times