When you are an international student studying in Canada, you might need to support yourself financially. Relying solely on your parents or external support from family or guardians might not be the smartest choice for you. Lots of foreign students in Canada find part-time work to do while studying in Canada and we advise that you do too.
Many part-time jobs in Canada are very considerate toward students and so your work hours will be very flexible. Apart from the advantage of being able to support yourself financially in Canada, you will also gain good Canadian work experience which is great for your CV. This work experience will help you immensely especially if you plan on staying back to work in Canada after graduation.
The Canadian Visa given to you on admission as a foreign student, also permits you to work for a total of 20 hours every week for a paid part-time job. You can work for lesser hours but 20 hours is the maximum.
If you are enrolled for a course that is on the difficult side, then you are advised to work for only 12 hours every week. This is key to maintaining a good balance between work and study life.
On average, most part-time jobs in Canada pay around $10 per hour. You can also work off-campus by applying for an off-campus work permit. You can only apply for this work permit after 6 months of study at the Canadian college.
Part Time Work Options For International Students In Canada
Let us look at some part-time work options for you on-campus or off-campus. Usually, on-campus works are advertised on bulletin boards all around Canadian colleges. Off-campus works can be found on some job websites and by asking around.
1. Work as a Translator
If you are multilingual, this is a good and well paying part-time job option for you. Because Canada is a country full of people from different cultures and who speak different languages, there will be enough work available for you. Translators in Canada are paid an average of $23.46 per hour.
2. Lifeguard / Swimming instructor
If you possess good swimming skills and you can tutor people at swimming pools or at the beach, you can make good side income. On average, a swim instructor is paid about $17 per hour of work in Canada. While working as a lifeguard brings in about $16 per hour in Canada on average.
3. Rideshare Driver
As a Rideshare driver, you must have a good car, a driving license and a good smartphone to take orders. Rideshare drivers on average make about $23 per hour. And it is a good part-time work option while studying because your work hours are very flexible.
4. Waiter at a restaurant / Cafeteria
You can work in a restaurant or an eatery as a waiter / waitress. This is the normal go-to work for many students. It is a very popular job option among students for part-time jobs. The earning per hour is about $20 plus additional tips you get from customers. Sometimes, you will land waiter work at a restaurant that only needs you to work on weekend nights. The schedule for working as a waiter is a very flexible one.
5. Content Editor / Writer
To do this job, you need to have good editing skills, an eye for details, a zeal for writing and ability to do research. You might also need to know how to get creative too. Working as a Content editor should earn you about $55 per hour in Canada. It is a good part-time work option. You also must know how to keep to deadlines. You could work with authors to write and edit books, work for websites and magazines.
6. Work as a tutor
If you are particularly good in a particular subject area, why not take up a part-time job as a tutor? Perhaps, you know Mathematics very well, or Physics? Perhaps it’s Biology? You get to fix dedicated hours every week when you will tutor your student. This makes being a tutor a very flexible job indeed. On average, tutors in Canada earn about $45 per hour on average.
7. Bartender
You can also work at a bar as a bartender while studying in Canada. The hourly pay for bartenders in Canada is about $14 on average. Bartenders can make very good money if they are working at really busy bars, up to $1000 in three nights! This will be enough to fund your travels and other expenses while studying.
8. Web Designer
Working as a Web Designer while studying is an incredibly flexible part-time job option for you. You will need a lot of creativity, passion for design, and good knowledge of websites. You can work as an intern for a marketing agency or as a freelancer. The average hourly pay varies widely but could rise up to $150 per hour! You just have to get the necessary skills to land jobs.
So, these 8 helpful part-time job recommendations are indeed legit ways to make money on the side in Canada even while studying.
