Elena Prokopets
Part-time weekend jobs are very popular among teenagers, college students, and everyone else who wants to put some extra cash in their pocket.
No matter your reasons for wanting a weekend job, knowing how to go about landing one isn’t always easy. Why? Because good weekend jobs are pretty popular and competitive. Plus, it’s not always obvious where to find them if you have limited work experience.
This detailed guide has you covered! We talk in-depth about the popular weekend jobs (with examples) and ways to find them.
What are Good Weekend Jobs?
A good weekend-only job pays a nice hourly wage and doesn’t leave you totally exhausted for the workweek to come.
The popular types of weekend jobs are:
- Weekend shift jobs. Example: retail jobs such as sales assistant or hospitality jobs such as bartender or server.
- Gig jobs. Example: any type of scoped service, chargeable by the hour such as photography, babysitting, dog walking, etc.
- On-demand jobs. One-off gigs where you get some cash for helping out. These can include construction work, deliveries, lawn mowing, etc.
- Remote/work from home jobs. Work you can do from your laptop — freelance writing, design, consulting, accounting, etc.
Each of the following types of jobs come with varying pay, determined by your experience level and the value of provided services. Obviously, as a part-time baby shower photographer with a solid portfolio, you can command a higher rate than for babysitting gigs.
The Best Weekend Jobs
Weekend jobs in hospitality
- Bartender
- Server
- Barista
- Hotel desk employer
- Host/hostess
- Food truck staff
- Personal chef
- Promoter
- Event model
- Event coordinator
- Entertainer/performer
- Juice and smoothie maker
Part-time weekend jobs in retail
- Sales associate
- Warehouse worker
- Delivery courier
- Personal shopper
- Mystery shopper
- Product photographer
- Gift wrapper (seasonal job)
On-demand weekend jobs
- Babysitting
- Car washing and valeting
- Clearing driveways of snow
- Dog walking
- House cleaning
- Lawn mowing
- Leaf raking
- Pet sitting
- Running errands (fetching groceries)
- Construction work
- Gardening and landscaping work
- Ikea furniture assembler
- Handyman/woman
- Mover
Gig weekend work
- Ride-sharing driver (with Uber, Lyft, Via, etc).
- Food delivery courier (with Uber Eats, DashDoor, Deliveroo, etc)
- Fitness trainer or coach
- Yoga instructor
- Dance instructor
- Personal grocery shopper
- Caregiver
- Photographer
Remote weekend jobs
- Freelance writer or editor
- Transcriber
- Translator
- Graphic or website designer
- Virtual assistant
- Customer support specialist
- Online teaching jobs
- Voiceover artist
- Bookkeeper
- Accountant or tax preparator
- Brand ambassador
- eBay seller
- Dropshipper
- Vintage seller
How to Find Weekend Jobs
Working out your options is a good first step. Before you dive into the job search, assess your hard and soft skills. Think about your most marketable qualities. Then look into the weekend and part-time jobs that prioritize these.
Here are step-by-step instructions for finding part-time weekend jobs:
- Create a winning resume and cover letter
- Network with any promising connections you may have
- Find and apply for selected gigs
- Look at ways to create your own weekend job
- Checking out any potential online weekend jobs
- Prepare yourself for a job interview
Now let’s zoom in on each step.
1. Create a Winning Resume and Cover Letter
You may be wondering why you would need a resume to apply for a weekend job. Don’t forget that even though you are only looking to earn a bit of extra money on the side, your employer is running a professional business. Therefore, the employer will want to hire the most qualified candidate for the job.
If you apply for a job without being able to present a well-written resume, even for a weekend job, it can give the impression that you are not taking the job seriously.
Even if you are applying for an online weekend job (or gig work), most employers still expect candidates to provide a short cover letter, explaining their motivation and past experience. Also, most online platforms ask you to fill a profile, detailing your work experience and skill set. The above is easier to do when you already have a well-constructed resume. Thus, don’t skim on resume writing!
When creating your first resume, or when writing one after a long break, you can greatly benefit from using a professionally designed resume template for guidance. These save you a lot of time and effort because you don’t need to sit and scratch your head about the resume format.
Each section is drawn out for you and you can easily fill in and edit your information because the templates are downloadable in MS Word format. This means that you can keep your resume on file and edit it as and when you have new qualifications, training or work experience to add.
For a weekend position, you may only need to submit a very basic style of resume. This is because most employers will want to keep your resume on file in your personnel record.
When it comes to cover letter writing, the process is similar. Create a generic cover letter first — a “mockup” you’ll then customize for each job application. Format the letter accordingly and tweak it to reflect your top skills.
This guide provides a deeper take on cover letter writing.
2. Network with Your Connections
Your network, no matter its size, is the best source of work.
So don’t be afraid to ask around! You never know what weekend work opportunities may open up until you start to ask around your family, friends, and their connections. You could have a cousin that works for a DIY store or local restaurant who knows of a part-time weekend job opening.
The point is — you will never know unless you ask! Also, 88% of employers name referrals as their top source for job applicants. So if you get referred by a connection, you immediately get an extra “credit” of trust.
Also, work on building your network via LinkedIn — the place to be for job search. LinkedIn is a perfect place to connect with other business owners who may need your professional services.
3. Find and Apply to Good Weekend Jobs
If you live in a large town or city with lots of retail outlets, restaurants, snack bars, and leisure activity providers, then you can approach the business managers or owners to ask if they are looking to hire weekend staff.
Be prepared to impress by dressing smartly, being polite and friendly, and presenting the manager or owner with a copy of your resume and a cover letter. Handing out a professionally prepared resume and cover letter can highlight what you have to offer. You can list the accomplishments that you are most proud of. This can demonstrate that you are diligent and a hard worker.
You should list your soft skills that show how reliable, trustworthy and energetic you are. You want to create a positive first impression of yourself that shows what an asset you would be to their business.
If going door to door isn’t your jam, here are other places to find good weekend jobs:
- Craigslist — lots of options, but do vet prospective employers
- TaskRabbit — a popular platform, featuring on-demand gig jobs (mostly, non-skilled, service, and manual work)
- Indeed — has a dedicated Weekend Jobs section.
- Wonolo — an on-demand staffing platform. Operates similar to a staffing agency.
- Care.com — lists caregiving gigs such as elderly companion, babysitter, etc.
- Secret Shopper — up-to-date mystery shopping jobs.
- GigSmart — a job board featuring moving and manual labor jobs.
- Handy — an online platform, connecting handymen with customers.
4. Create Your Own Weekend Job
Sometimes, the best option to get a good weekend job is to create one for yourself!
You may see an opportunity for making money in your local area for yourself rather than looking to work for a company or local business.
Creating your own income can give you the flexibility you need to fit your work around your other commitments. So for example, if you are at college during the week or you are already holding down a full-time 9-5 job Monday to Friday, you can still work your job on the weekend.
Here are some business ideas for a weekend job:
- Selling on eBay, Amazon, or Etsy — you can start your online store and source goods from local artisans or suppliers for sale. Or sell some of your handmaid goods such as posters, candles, garments, etc.
- Vintage seller — the preloved garments market is growing at break-neck speed and projected to reach $80 billion by 2029. You can hunt for local treasures and sell them online on platforms such as thredUp or Depop among others.
- Storage host — you can rent out spaces on your property to others for a fee via platforms such as Peerspace or StoreAtMyHouse.
- Rent your car — similarly, you can let others use your car for a fee over the weekends via peer-to-peer car-sharing platforms such as Turo or Getaround.
- Provide a professional service — monetize your hobby or skill. From dance classes to floral arrangements, there are many ways to make money on the weekend by teaching others to do what you are good at. You can host personal or group sessions. Or organize weekend workshops.
5. Look At Online Work Opportunities
Job seekers have access to an entirely new world of employment possibilities through the internet. You could find an online job that you can work from home at the weekend from the comfort of your own home.
There are many viable opportunities for both teenagers and adults. Especially if you have some skills that you can make use of. So if you are good with graphic design, there are freelance platforms that you can join and offer your services.
If you are fast and typing and good at spelling, then you can look at signing up with an online transcription service. The great thing about these platforms is that you can decide your own availability and set your own working hours.
However, do check the membership rules to make sure that you qualify. Some freelance platforms will require you to be over 18, hold certain qualifications, or be registered as self-employed for instance.
Popular online platforms for finding weekend jobs:
- Amazon Mechanical Turk — simple digital hourly jobs.
- TranscribeMe — get registered to work as a transcriber.
- Fiverr — an online freelance marketplace where you can list your services.
- Hubstaff Talent — online part-time and weekend jobs, as well as freelance gigs.
- Freelance marketplaces — such as Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Freelancer, and Guru among others.
6. Prepare Yourself for a Job Interview
While weekend jobs rarely have a lengthy interview process, you should still be ready to answer some popular interview questions.
In particular, prepare to answer the following ones:
- Please, tell me about yourself
- What motivates you?
- Why are you applying to this position?
Also, have a short elevator pitch ready succinctly summarizing your expertise.
To Conclude
Try not to be too picky about what job you want to work on a weekend. Consider everything that comes your way. You never know where that job may lead. It may be that you start off working weekends in the stock room of a shoe shop, but eventually, you may end up being the store manager!
Even if you know that your weekend job isn’t going to be your lifelong career path, it might help you greatly in the future by adding this experience to your resume!
