Five Hobbies That Can Help You Earn

Having hobbies is an absolute must for every student. Often, the tyranny of curriculums and textbooks force students to lose their creativity and direct all their energies to study.

There are a host of hobbies and passions that could increase the chances of employment in the future. Activities such as blogging, freelance writing, photography or learning a new language can really expand a student’s mind and enable them to create alternate earning channels for themselves. Below are some of the activities which a student can take up in order to make some money.

Photography

Photography offers you an opportunity to capture the world around you in an intimate way and bring out the extraordinary in the most mundane of things. Taking up photography as a hobby can increase your prospects of having a job at a magazine or fashion house where skilled photographers are a constant necessity. If you’re inclined toward a career in the media, then your skill can also prepare you for a career in photojournalism. You can also let it remain as a side profession and become a freelance photographer if you have the skill and make the right connections.

Foreign Language

Learning a new language opens up a lot of opportunities for anyone looking to expand their career prospects and broaden their employment options. Learning languages such as French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, can definitely help you land jobs as analysts, interpreters, translators, and more. “In today’s world, due to globalization, you have IT companies from all over coming into every city for business. Sometimes certain projects in such companies require knowing of a specific language. So, if someone is fluent with, say, French, German or Spanish, then they can gain an edge in companies from countries which speak these languages, and that will definitely be an added advantage for anyone fluent in any of these languages and looking to apply,” said Nabanita Saha of Alliance Francais du Bengale, which teaches French. Having a new language on your CV can also attract job offers in the tourism and hospitality sectors, she adds.

Blogging

Blogging is the newest rage all over the world, and across fields such as travel, food, art and photography. Having your own blog gives you a way to express your innermost thoughts and feelings, as well as show off your literary and creative skills before the world. “Blog writing can help with creating your personal branding for digital marketing and content creation-related jobs,” said Avik Munshi, casual blogger and student of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. Poorna Banerjee, who runs the food, travel, and lifestyle blog PresentedbyP, said: “Nowadays, you have to be abreast of all the trends in society and the nation. You should not only create your own writing style, but also know about the proper marketing techniques and channels. There are a number of ways to make marketing content sell, such as promoting it on social media websites, offering free subscription, and doing proper SEO and keyword research to get an increased number of hits on your article.” However, she warns against resorting to cheap sensationalism and making money off people’s misery. “One should always be ethical regarding how they choose to make money.”

Cooking

Getting yourself well-versed in the culinary arts is also another way to open new creative avenues for yourself. With international shows like MasterChef having gained popularity worldwide and having made cooking cool and popular with people of all ages, races and genders, cooking can make you gain your own niche and even start your own business. If you’re really interested in cooking, you can try to dredge up new experimental recipes and share them on your own YouTube channel or blog. This can be another great way to generate income and have a thriving side business alongside a full-time career.

Freelance writing

Freelancing as a means of earning extra money has seen considerable rise in the last decade. With more and more people registering as freelancers on platforms such as Upwork, the scope for freelancing is huge – and this is especially true for activities which are related to writing. Almost every media and content organisation hires freelancers. Priya Jamba, quality head at Scalenut, a content research and copywriting platform, said: “If you know what's the value of efforts you are putting for a company or client and are constantly upskilling to keep up with the SEO trends and technologies that emerge for the niche you're writing on, then it's very possible to make a good sum, maybe more than you would make in a nine-to-five job.”

No matter what hobby you choose, try to excel in them and treat them a bit more seriously than “time-pass”. Feel free to channel your inner artist and creator in every way you can.