How to Start Earning Before Graduation: 4 Practical Strategies

Among the many questions students asked, one stood out: how to secure a job before completing their degree or start earning before graduation. I understood the motivation behind this question. Most of these students, financially supported by their parents, wanted to lessen this burden but were unsure how to do so.

As a professor and practitioner, I knew it was possible and successfully guided many students in achieving this goal. This blog shares the practical advice I’ve given to my students, enabling them to receive job offers even before obtaining their final transcripts.

Addressing Student Concerns

One day, while teaching a graduate-level finance course, a student raised a concern that many soon-to-be graduates share. “Sir,” he said, “we’re in our sixth semester of business studies, and in less than a year, we’ll graduate. The job market is tough. Even experienced professionals are struggling to find jobs. Is there any way I can secure a job before completing my degree? Or in simple how can I start earning before graduation?”

I assured him that it was possible, but it required answering a few crucial questions. With his agreement, I set the stage with a practical scenario that he and his classmates could relate to.

“Imagine a small manufacturing company with 5 to 10 employees. The company is profitable, with good sales and reasonable manufacturing costs, but its finances are in disarray. They barely manage to create an income and expenditure account and rely heavily on a consultant to file their income and sales tax returns. Now, suppose the company owner, a distant relative of yours, knows you’re about to graduate in finance and accounting. One day, he approaches you with the following questions:

1. “I’ve heard there are many off-the-shelf software options for small manufacturing companies like ours. Can you recommend a good one or do you have expertise in any such software so we can use your services?”
2. “Last year, we purchased accounting software on an annual subscription, but it expired because we didn’t know how to use it. They are offering to renew it at half price. If we renew, can you configure it, including setting up the Chart of Accounts and other necessary tasks?”
3. “We don’t have a proper filing system for accounting and tax records. Can you guide us on setting one up?”
4. “There have been many changes in the taxation laws for manufacturing companies. We need to file our monthly sales tax and annual income tax returns. Can you handle this for us and guide us on legal tax-saving methods?”

I told the class that if they could confidently say ‘yes’ to most of these questions, they would have no trouble finding a job and start earning before graduation. However, the response was sobering. Out of 38 students, only 2 or 3 felt confident they could handle at least two of these tasks. The rest had some theoretical knowledge but lacked real-world accounting and finance experience.

The Importance of Practical Knowledge

While the scenario I described was specific to business studies, it can be applied to most of the degrees taught at colleges and universities. This includes but is not limited to, fields such as computer science, media, and social sciences, to name a few.

Many students who did not acquire practical knowledge during their studies often have various excuses. The most common excuse is that they have a lot of work to do. They argue that a course load of four to five subjects, each with multiple assignments and quizzes, as well as demanding final projects, makes it impossible to focus on anything else. Some students say they might lose their scholarship if their GPA drops to a certain level, so they focus solely on their studies.

Others believe that simply passing exams and obtaining a degree is sufficient, as that is their main goal. While these explanations are somewhat valid, students should understand one important thing: “Their academic journey is essentially a net practice for the real game that awaits them in their future careers.”

Overcoming Common Student Excuses

Now, let me address these concerns one by one based on real-world scenarios.

For the first group of students who believe they have too much to do, they need to understand that the real world is far more demanding than completing assignments. If you choose to start your own business or work as a consultant after completing your degree, it will be your skills and ability to work long hours that will pay off, rather than a working two or three hours a day or just completing a few assignments. Failing to prepare yourself for what lies ahead can lead to disappointment and frustration when such students enter the job market.

For the second group of students who focus solely on grades, they should remember that obtaining a degree is a certificate that you have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to do the required job. Higher grades do not guarantee that you will be the best in your field. I have seen students with a GPA of 3.0 or above outperform their classmates with higher GPAs in the long run. Although GPA is a good indicator of your success, it does not reflect your attitude toward work your capacity to work under pressure or your ability to collaborate with others.

For the third group of students who are just aiming to get the degree, they struggle the most in applying their academic knowledge to real-world situations. They often lack exposure to the real-world problems and situations they will encounter after completing their degrees. This is why they sometimes fail to answer even basic questions during interviews, as these questions are based on real-world scenarios, not just the theoretical knowledge they have acquired from books. Even when they secure jobs, they find it challenging to apply their learned knowledge because it was taught in a different context of which they are not aware.

A Success Story

I have many stories to share to provide you with perspective, but let me share one that will give you a clear idea. One of my students approached me and said he had a CGPA of 3.8 but felt he lacked practical knowledge and skills. He asked me to introduce him to a firm that accepts fresh graduates or students in their final year. He said he was willing to compromise on his grades because he wanted to learn something beyond books.

He also agreed to shift his classes from mornings to evenings or weekends if necessary, and he was willing to work for free as long as he was learning.

Based on his motivation, I introduced him to the health ministry where I had previously worked. He started as an intern and performed various small tasks like photocopying, drafting letters, maintaining files, making calls, and arranging meetings. He never complained that he joined to learn “skills” rather than doing these minor tasks and remained patient.

One day, he discovered that the ministry needed to organize some large Excel data files, which required basic skills in Python. With preliminary research on YouTube and Google, and discussions with a friend who was a data analyst, he learned he could acquire basic Python skills in a month, sufficient to organize the data.

He offered his help, and in the next few weeks, he worked diligently. He completed the task in less than a month and received recognition. He organized the data and created a professional presentation to display the results. In the following months, he continued to impress the ministry by quickly learning new skills and delivering results on time.

It was no surprise when a health development partner noticed his performance and offered him a job. He accepted the job offer and completed his last semester while working. As soon as he graduated, he was offered a permanent position with a six-figure salary.

The lessons from this story are clear.

It was the student’s attitude toward learning that made the difference.
He showed flexibility by rearranging his classes.
He was patient and humble, even when doing small office tasks.
He was proactive in taking on tasks that were not part of his job.
He was motivated to learn new skills despite having a full course load at the university.
He demonstrated commitment by delivering work on time and always put the client, and the ministry, first.
He was in the game to win it.