This Gig Will Pay College Students About $17.50/Hr to Show Off Their Campus

If you’re in college, you’re probably familiar with the impossible-to-achieve college trifecta: good grades, some semblance of a social life and sleep.

You can only pick two, and which one you give up is up to you — but it’s nearly impossible to have all three unless you have some superhuman time management skills.

And when you add a job into the mix? Done for. Say goodbye to sleep. Reconcile yourself to a few Cs on your transcript. Kiss your friends goodbye and tell them you’ll see them in four years.

Listen, I know I’m stating the obvious when I say college is expensive, and it seems pretty unfair that you should have to choose between a healthy amount of sleep and graduating without a mountain of soul-crushing debt.

But what if you didn’t have to choose? What if you could work a flexible, well-paying (we’re talking about $17.50 an hour), on-campus job that lets you set your own hours, spend your days meeting new people and learn more about the campus you call home?

Does such a job even exist?

It does indeed, and it’s with Campus Sherpa — a company that offers private, guided campus tours to prospective students who want a more casual, intimate window into student life.

Campus Sherpa Offers Jobs for College Students

If you work for Campus Sherpa, you’ll be a student tour guide (or Sherpa). You’ll be responsible for creating tailored tours that fit the needs of your clients, guiding them around campus and answering any questions they may have, all while giving them a realistic look at college life.

Pay ranges based on tour length, but you can expect to make an average of $17.50 an hour. Right now, Sherpas are paid via PayPal, though the company is looking into expanding payment options.

As a Sherpa, you’ll be an independent contractor, so you can choose which jobs you want to take and when. There is no required number of tours per week or hours worked, so your schedule is entirely up to you.

If you’re interested in becoming a Sherpa, you can apply here. After you apply, you’ll be scheduled for a phone interview, where the interviewer will be listening to see if you have a substantial (and enthusiastic) knowledge of your campus.

There is no formal training process involved, as Campus Sherpa says every student is already qualified to share their own personal experience, which is what makes each tour unique.

What to Expect as a Campus Sherpa

Once you’re a Sherpa, the process for leading a tour is pretty simple.

Clients can submit a tour request via the online portal on the Campus Sherpa website, where they’ll be matched with a specific tour guide based on their interests and potential field of study.

If you accept the tour, you’ll use the potential student’s profile to craft a tailored, engaging tour that showcases your campus lifestyle.

You don’t even have to deviate from your normal schedule — take the client to your classes, drop by your favorite professor’s office hours, show them your dorm room or take them by your favorite study spot (or all of the above!).  Tours range from 45 minutes to five hours.

After you finalize an itinerary, it will be sent to your client for approval. Once they accept, the tour will be scheduled and the client will pay the fee. Just be sure to contact them the night before the tour to provide any last minute information.

And while there’s no app involved, Campus Sherpa functions similarly to Uber or AirBnB: after each tour, clients can rate their Sherpa based on their experience (so make it a good one).

Another Way to Earn Money Through Campus Sherpa

The company is still in the process of developing an incentives program that will involve cash prizes and gifts for Sherpas who reach certain milestones, but in the meantime, you can earn extra money through Campus Sherpa’s Brand Ambassador program.

As a Brand Ambassador, you’ll work to publicize and promote the company to both high school and college students. You’ll get paid on a commission basis whenever a student uses your code to sign up as either a Sherpa or a new client.

It’s a flexible, straightforward and interesting way to make extra cash as a college student — where was this when I was a freshman?

Your Turn: Are you ready to share your expert campus knowledge with new students?

Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.