Good side hustles for bad degrees

Did you graduate with a degree that’s getting you nowhere in the job market? Even though the unemployment rate is at its lowest rate in years, some college majors are notorious for leaving graduates out of work.

Ten fields have miserable unemployment rates for recent graduates, according to new research by Zippia, a career platform. On the bright side, there are some good side hustles for bad degrees.

Good side hustles for bad degrees

Consider cosmetology, a profession which suffers with a 5.9 percent overall unemployment rate, according to Zippia. An online job platform called Priv pays licensed hairstylists, make-up artists and nail technicians between $30 and $90 per hour to gussy-up clients who are getting ready for special occasions, such as weddings and television appearances. Another site, called GlamSquad, also finds jobs for cosmetologists. However, the site pays far less – between $14 and $16 per hour.

Culinary arts

Those who studied culinary arts have similarly dire full-time work prospects, Zippia’s research says. But the side hustle options are myriad and attractive.

Consider Tastemade, a site that allows chefs to offer cooking “experiences.” Chefs design the offer, price it and collect 100% of the fee. The site merely adds a 5% commission onto the client’s bill. Not surprisingly during the pandemic, many of the offers are for online cooking classes.

Other options: EatWith allows cooks to prepare and serve meals in their own homes. Shef allows chefs to prepare meals for take-out.

Foreign language majors

What if you studied foreign language? To be sure, your language degree could snag you a job as a translator, working for the state department or for your local court system. You could also work as a language tutor for sites such as Wyzant or Varsity Tutors. Or, you could find a job teaching overseas through TeachAway.

Social studies

And that vague “interdisciplinary social studies” degree may not have given you a clear career path in the 9-to-5 world. But with a smattering of education in a wide array of topics, such as history, geography, communications and behavioral science, you could be a great tour guide. Tours by Locals allows guides to set their own agenda. The guides detail what the tourists will see, how long it will take, the number of people who can be included in each tour and the per-participant price. The site takes 20% of your fee to market your services, but you set the price.  Viator does much the same.