All you need to know about part-time jobs in Germany

Any student who goes abroad to study will want to enjoy student life. Especially in a place like Germany - where the night is always young and the place is brimming with fun activities to do around.

For the students who would want to make the most of their stay in Germany without worrying about the finances, getting a part-time job would be the best route to take. Germany is very student-friendly and understands the financial needs of any student. As a result, they are very big on creating and providing part-time jobs to international and national students alike.

But before we dive into providing more information about the part-time jobs in Germany, internationals must be aware of certain rules and regulations that are put in place for them.

Rules and regulations

International students should keep the following rules and regulations in mind before they look into part-time jobs.

• Students are allowed to work only 20 hrs per week during the term is functioning. Although, students are allowed to work full-time during vacation time.
• To be eligible to work part-time in Germany, it is essential to have a work permit from the "Agentur für Arbeit" (or the Federal Employment Agency). Without a work permit, you will not be eligible to work anywhere. Moreover, you would need the foreigner's authority as well.
• The number of days you can work is 120 full days and 240 half days in a year. Although, the amount of time granted may differ according to the location of your university. If the university is in the city location, you would be granted more than 120 hours, since the city has more job opportunities.
• The rules for international students enrolled in preparatory or language courses are a little more rigid. These students can only work during their lecture-free time. Moreover, they would need special permission from the foreign authority to be able to work.
• Since the working hours per week are limited to 20 hours, it is usually advised against going above 20 hours. There is no dire visa relate consequences that the student faces, instead most universities are against working more than 20 hours. Furthermore, if you work more than 20 hours, you will have to pay for your health insurance and other insurances.
• On that note, students are usually exempted from paying taxes. There are two instances in which you don't have to pay taxes. The first is if you earn less than €450 in a month and the second is if you work less than 50 days (continuous) in a year.
• It is possible to get a job at your university. The rules and regulations of university jobs will be slightly different from the jobs outside. It should be kept in mind that it is quite difficult to get a job in the university, and the hours of work per week remain the same unless the university has other rules and regulations.
• Regarding the language requirements, it is important to keep in mind that knowing the German language is absolutely essential. This is because there are rarely any jobs whose medium of conversation or language would be English. Your employee might not require you to submit documents proving your German language skills, but they will assess the level of german you can speak, understand and write.

How much can a student earn?

Any student who is looking for a part-time job is doing so for one cause - to earn money. The reasons for earning money may differ from student to student, but it is essential to know the general payment that part-time jobs give to students.

The minimum wage for part-time jobs has been set to €8.80 per hour. This way the students can earn without worrying about paying taxes or any kind of insurance. In a year, a student in Germany makes €8000 a year.

With the estimated amount is shown above, a student can take care of their daily needs, but it is not advisable for students to pay for their tuition with part-time job wages. Furthermore, the minimum wage keeps you from officially pay taxes and get insurance.

The minimum wage may differ according to the location of your university. Big cities may have the minimum wage a little higher than small cities, only because the cost of living in big cities is much higher and would require a high-paying part-time job to get by.

Most popular part-time jobs available in Germany

Since part-time jobs do not require special skills or academic requirements, your choices are on a wide range. But the most popular part-time jobs are as follows:

• Being a teacher or research assistant: These jobs are the most popular, for the very reason that they are available in host universities, help the students learn something more and get more opportunities while getting paid the minimum wage.
  
  You would need the basic educational qualifications, and the assistant job should be aligned with the course you study. You can talk to your supervisors and professors for an opportunity or keep a look-out for similar opportunities on the college billboards.
• Assistants in industries or companies: Similar to being a teacher or research assistant, a student can do a part-time job as an assistant in industries or companies. The pay is a little higher in this job and guarantees a fantastic experience for the job you'll do.
  
  Although, it is important to keep in mind that jobs as industrial or company assistant is not widely available. They require basic skills and experience for anyone to be qualified for a part-time job. It is also important to keep in mind that there are scarce companies that would hire anyone for a part-time job, it will be mostly an internship. So, it is important to keep in mind the working hours of a week before starting any job at a company.
• Waiter in restaurants or barista: Another popular part-time job is of a waiter or a barista. These jobs are available throughout the year, as the demand rarely goes away. This job pays the minimum wage but could pay higher depending upon the brand name as well the location of the brand.
  
  The job of a barista and waiter is most in demand by students majorly because students can choose their working hours (or shifts) around the classes they have. This gives them a lot of flexibility and helps them balance working and studying while enjoying their university life to the fullest.
• Volunteering: Volunteering is another easy to get a job, which can relate to your field and make your resume shine as well. There are all kinds of volunteering a student can choose to do, but be careful to choose a volunteering job that pays the minimum wage at least.
  
  Volunteering jobs sometimes pay for your traveling expenses, if the job is farther than the usual route. This cost is additional to the minimum wage you would be receiving.

Things to keep in mind

Remember, that no matter what part-time job you land, keeping a track of your working hours takes top priority. Especially during the time, your term will be active. Furthermore, cross-check with your employee the amount of payment they will pay you since it should adhere to the minimum wage that the government has set up.