Odd jobs in college? I was a hooker when I was a student in college. At first, I was doing it for free, but I needed the money and this odd job was easy. I made money hand over fist for just a few minutes work. I wasn't a "traditional hooker" when I was a college student, though. That is the odd part. I wrote "hooks" for other college students who were having trouble writing essays for their classes. What is a "hook" and how was that an odd job for me to have as a college student? How did I make money with that odd job? Let me explain...
A "hook" is a word or phrase or maybe even a sentence in the first paragraph of an essay that sparks the reader's interest and makes the reader want to read the entire essay. An example of a hook is "I was a hooker in college." Didn't that make you want to read a little further to find out more about me and my odd job in college? Most people wouldn't tell others about "that odd job," yet I laid it out there for you in black and white. Curiosity got the best of you and you kept reading.
My professors and instructors would make comments in class about my hooks. The other students in the class would ask me about my hooks later. I would either tell them about the specific hook that was mentioned in class or let them read it for themselves. They were always asking me for suggestions and ideas about how they could hook their professors in the first paragraph of their essays. Word spread around campus about my strange talent and soon I was being approached by students that weren't in any of my classes. They would tell me the title or give me some general information about the essay they were writing and I would, off the cuff usually, throw out a line or two for them to use. I didn't even have to write it down.
I started "putting it out for free," but that got me thinking, "I'm in college. I'm almost always low on cash. How can I make some quick, easy money?" That is when I started charging the students. Please don't think I was writing their essays for them. I wasn't doing that at all. I wrote my own essays and I expected everyone else to do the same! I just gave them an idea to get them started and to keep their reader reading. I was amazed how much a student was willing to pay for just a few words.
I wasn't an evil, scheming opportunist when it came to being a hooker. I generally worked on a sliding scale. I could charge anywhere from between five dollars and twenty-five dollars, depending on the person and my immediate need for cash. I even charged some under-the-gun, extremely stressed out graduate students as much as one hundred dollars for one of my hooks. One week, I made over one thousand dollars. It was just before spring break and all the mid-term essays would be due soon.
My business was booming. I eventually had a notebook where I wrote down my ideas for all the hooks. I still have it. When someone would ask me for a hook, after getting the money, I would flip through my little book and find one. I had several offers from students wanting to buy that book from me. I always declined. One hooker on campus was enough. Besides, my grandfather always said "you can milk a cow for years, but you can only butcher it once."
That little job of hooking led to a fulfilling career in public relations and fundraising. I had learned the art of hooking a reader and used to promote my client's businesses and organizations. It also helped me when I wrote resumes professionally. Come to think of it, I suppose I am still a hooker. I still write professionally, so I am still hooking my readers. That little odd job I had as a college student turned into a career, a lucrative career that I love. I never would have guessed back then I would be doing the same thing now. My grandfather was full of great advice. "Find something you love to do and then find someone smart enough to pay you well to do it," he told me several times. I followed his advice to the letter. Despite the stigma attached to it, I love being a "working girl." I am proud to be a hooker and I wouldn't want to make a living any other way.