Studying abroad can seem glamorous. In fact, many people believe that once they can escape the shores of their home country, they have made it. But that’s not always true. Many students studying abroad constantly struggle with their finances.
Many even find themselves deep in debt and fall into depression after a few months either because they were unprepared, they were unable to adapt to the changing environment or they were simply living beyond their means.
In any way, it is still very possible to live a comfortable life with your finances even with the uncertainties of living in a new country. One of the best ways to do this is to increase your income by getting a job.
Working part-time while studying goes beyond getting quick money. It can also be a great way to expand your network and gain experience for the future. You even get to develop important workplace ethics and skills that will make you stand out from your peers.
Here’s a list of job ideas you can explore as a foreigner in Russia:
1. Hair Services: This is a very promising business area since many people need different haircutting and hairstyling services from time to time. There’s a wide range of areas to explore- from trying out different hair trends to washing, conditioning and colouring hair.
You can also include hair consultation and management for different hair types, recommend suitable hair products and gain trusted customers that will keep coming back.
2. Tutoring Services: One advantage of being in a students community is that someone always needs help with one school subject or another. You can even offer to tutor newer students in Russian or help with difficult subjects for some money.
And since English is not the native language here, Russia is an excellent place to offer English lessons both for children and adults. Ask your classmates or search for openings around you. There is always an opportunity.
3. Translation Services: Like tutoring, having a good command of English and being quite proficient in Russian, you can make a decent amount from regular translation gigs, either from Russian to English or vice versa.
Whether it’s for social media accounts, businesses, personal blogs, YouTube accounts or school accounts, you get to help people understand and gain access to content not in their native language.
4. Childcare: Many Russian parents these days look for native English speakers to look after their kids and indirectly train them to practice their spoken English and attain fluency in no time.
Children daycare places often look to employ workers who will take care of young children and can speak English to them too. You can research if any of these organisations are around you and reach out to get started.
5. Freelancing: Freelancing has become so popular with the internet these days. If you’ve got a premium skill, you can definitely monetise it- writing, design, web development, social media management, consultation etc.
The way this works is you put yourself out there and you put a rate on your services- platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are a great place to start. Build your portfolio and grow a network as this will open you up to more opportunities.
6. Internships and Volunteering: Even though many internship programmes don’t pay you, they can be an excellent opportunity to gain experience, especially when it is related to your career path.
If you’re working hands-on, you will get to learn valuable skills for your field, meet people and connect with a community for the future. It’s not always about the money.
Earning some extra cash as a student may seem like a great idea until you realise it actually takes a lot of effort. You always have to make sure you’re on the right side of the balance; constantly weighing your priorities and giving due attention to your studies.
Was this article helpful? Let us know in the comments which of these job ideas you’re considering and which ones you’re already into.
