If you know me, you know I LOVE an inexplicably random side quest. You also know I love a quick profit. Put those two things together and you have the most random resume anyone has ever laid eyes on.
I have a very expensive lifestyle, and with that comes the need to constantly be making money. As a college student, it can be hard to fit a full time gig into the schedule. So, without further ado, here are the most notable side hustles I’ve gotten my hands on during my time at UCLA, ranked least favorite to favorite.
5. Duffl Racer
Freshman year, I was hungry for a purpose in life and a quick buck. And so, when I was randomly DM-ed the Duffl application, I filled it out. I spent the next couple weeks studying the street map of Westwood harder than I’ve ever studied for an actual exam. After the literal insane four step hiring process, which included being timed running up and down Jans Steps in broad daylight, I was hired as a Duffl Racer. This sucked. Immediately. My first shift was literally during a monsoon, and I was often walking home alone from Westwood to Hedrick Hall at 1:30 am. As a small little 18 year old freshman. After four months, many injuries and close calls, and my friends sniping me in pictures wearing my all neon orange fit later, I called it a day, and it was the best decision of my life. Don’t be fooled, that job sucks. 0/10 recommend.
4. Random Party Bouncer
A sorority GroupMe is like 200 girls’ random thoughts plastered on the internet. With it comes random requests and promos. One fateful sophomore year night, I was a little under the weather and searching for something to do while my friends went out. Then, one of my sorority sisters sent in the chat “My friend who runs an event company is looking for a girl to work an event Saturday night, text me.” That was enough context for me. I texted the number and was instructed to meet my new boss (?) at a random airplane hangar in Glendale, dressed up like a pilot. (this is not safety advice, I probably should have brought my pepper spray). Well, I borrowed my friend’s car and showed up. My job was to stand outside the airplane hangar that they had converted into a rave and scan people’s tickets. After three hours and little to no questions answered, I was Zelled $200 and sent home. This was an easy $200 but to this day I am still confused what the hell was going on, 2/10 recommend.
3. Social Media Manager
Not only through sorority GroupMes, but I also take full advantage of club slack channels to find my next side hustle. In the Daily Bruin Slack channel last year, someone’s family friend was looking for a social media manager. I sent her my resume, walked to her law firm and was quickly hired. For about a year I went to her house every Saturday to film content for the week and posted every day, at a $20/hour rate. She also gave me bagels. This was the first side hustle that I could actually use on my resume for future jobs, so that was a bonus, and I feel like I really got experience out of it. The only downside was that it took a lot more brain power than the side hustles coming up. 7/10 recommend.
2. Social Media Ambassador
If there’s one thing that brands love, it’s cheap marketing. And after studying communications for three years I have learned that venmoing a random college girl $50 is much cheaper than running an ad campaign. This is GREAT news for all of us. I have taken to answering my hidden DM’s on TikTok and Instagram, as brands often reach out to college girls for exposure. Freshman year, a laundry service start up reached out to me and every time I posted on my story for them, they did my laundry for free. Like start to finish. This may not seem like much, but have you ever experienced the Hedrick Hall laundry room? They would hand pick-up my laundry, wash, dry, AND fold it, and deliver it back to my door. I miss it. Recently, a drinking game app DMed me on TikTok, and everytime I make a silly little video for them they venmo me $30. This is much more than minimum wage. I highly recommend this, because we are constantly on social media anyway, we might as well make a little extra cash from it. 9/10 recommend.
1. Babysitting
The OG side hustle, babysitting. I live love laugh babysitting because not only is it highly entertaining, but kids often go to bed really early and then you literally get paid to sit in a very nice house and eat their snacks. Westwood, Brentwood and Beverly Hills are crawling with children, and I highly recommend trying to find a family that needs babysitting services. This is a no brainer, a 10/10 side hustle.
Hopefully you’re never in the position that you need to scooter to pay for your lifestyle, and I hope you learn from my mistakes. Side hustles are a fun, non-binding way to make some cash and LA has so many random opportunities to make money. Go out there and find them!