Earning Extra Money: How Can I Make Extra Cash?
- On the Money Magazine
- Jul 31
- 2 min read
Nicole Orduno, DePaul University, Freshman
In May of 2022, an estimated 5.5 million teens from the ages of 16-19 years old had a job (Desilver, 2022). However, what type of jobs hire young adults? As a teen, there are many jobs and “side hustles” available to make extra cash. To start, a teen can apply to open job spaces around their area. They can look for corporations in various specialties, such as food, retail, or district jobs. A tip is to ask friends for job referrals, increasing their chances of obtaining a job.
A second suggestion is offering services to acquaintances. For example, offering to cut your neighbor’s grass and nannying for your parents’ friends when they need it, is key to making extra money and maybe even becoming an entrepreneur. Lucero Gonzalez (age 39), an entrepreneur of her company Lucero’s Cleaning, started her company in this way. She states, “Ever since I was fourteen, I took all the jobs I could, no matter how small they were, every penny counted…because of all the jobs I had when I was young, I gained experience to know I wanted my own cleaning company… I enjoy what I do”.
Finding your talents or hobbies and using them as a “side hustle” is another tip. Like Lucero, if you enjoy cleaning, offer cleaning services. If you enjoy dancing, offer choreography services or dance lessons. If you enjoy painting, offer to paint kids’ faces for birthday parties. It is important to note that there are many industries that young people can go into. In July 2023, there were typically 17 different industries that people ages 16 to 24 went into (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023):
Exploring these different fields is something Luke Zajczenko, age 18, has done. He says, “I’ve worked six different jobs including at the zoo, at Jewel-Osco, and Potbelly… They taught me responsibility, how to save my money, and skills I can use in my future career…”. Experience in different areas can uplevel a person’s college application or resume (Matzinger, 2024). Overall, taking the opportunity to work in a field of interest has proven to impact young adults’ lives whether in developing new skills, keeping them occupied, or simply making extra cash.
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