Category: # my work

# my work, lifehack

Tips for finding a part-time job for students | part 2

💡Tips for finding a part-time job for students | part 2

Read the first part 🔗link.

Today about responding to a vacancy👇

📎 Requirements for the applicant in the vacancy
We advise responding to student jobs if you have ~50-60% of the above. The requirements for applicants are often inflated, so chances are you will be competitive.

📎 Response form
Respond to the vacancy exactly as the procedure stipulates. Attach all necessary documents. When responding by e-mail, please indicate the subject of the e-mail and the purpose of your e-mail in the e-mail.

📎 Cover letter
The cover letter should be personalized for the vacancy and should not be too long. Do not forget to design the header of the document and structure the document competently. Pay attention to who the contact person is in order to avoid common phrases in the application.

# my work, lifehack

Tips for finding a part-time job for students | part 1

📌Summary
A resume is the most important document when looking for a job. It is the resume that gives HR the first impression of job applicants, their competencies and suitability for the vacancy.

📎Content
A resume should not be overloaded. Exclude such things as stages of all Olympiads, sports sections and robotics courses at the age of ten and all information that does not reflect your personality and qualifications.
Include education, work experience, internships, volunteer work. Be sure to include your contact with a decent email address. Add soft and hard skills and your hobbies.

📎Summary length
Fit the information onto one page. If all the information is not included and you don't have 15 years of work experience under your belt, it is very likely that your resume contains a lot of irrelevant information.

📎Photo
Do not use everyday photos or selfies. If you insert a photo in your resume, make sure it is a relevant photo of good quality.

📎 Appearance
Your resume should be easy to understand visually. Use blocks of color, readable fonts, contrasting colors. Lines should start in the same place, do not use simple spaces, forming visually a table.
Take advantage of services and programs that help you create the look and feel of your resume.

# my work

# my work Natasha

Natasha, 25, moved to Germany from Moscow (she grew up in Nizhnevartovsk, Tyumen region). She now lives in Düsseldorf.

Where do you go to school?

I am studying Economics and Finance (Master of Science), in English, Hochschule Rhein-Waal.

Where and what do you work?

Working student in an international energy company, working entirely in English. The project I am currently engaged in: building a tool for processing and visualizing data on concluded electricity sale/purchase transactions. When it ends, there may be other tasks and projects.

How'd you get the job?

I found the job itself through the internet, but it's a bit of an unusual story😏. Initially, I planned to move to Germany through internships or programs for young professionals, so looking for a job was the starting point. I found a company, successfully passed the interviews as a foreign university student, but at the time I did not realize that the Working Student vacancy only applies to German university students. After the interviews, it became clear that the company would not be able to employ me in this format or invite me for an internship. It was also the height of the pandemic.

In general, I decided to start my journey in Germany with my studies, and after my enrollment, exactly one year after the interviews, I wrote to them, told them that I was studying in Germany, they invited me to meet them and eventually hired me. I started working from the second semester, it was more convenient for both parties. At that time, I was still finishing my master's degree for a Russian university.

Employer's requirements

I probably don't remember well by now, but the gist of it was that I was in a master's program in International Energy Business and was originally aiming to work and study in energy markets.

I had 6 years of education in this field and experience in consulting. Since the vacancy was in an energy company, I think my experience and my CV played a big role. The vacancy did not require German language skills, only English.

For some reason there is a perception that only IT people can work in English in Germany. I don't know where that comes from, I've seen a fair number of vacancies for economists in the energy sector. Yes, it's probably harder than finding a job in German, but it doesn't limit you if you have a great desire. I really wanted to work there and got a job opening. I would say a dream job: a big company with lots of opportunities.

So to all the guys who come to study without knowledge of German - don't let yourself be overwhelmed by stereotypes that no one needs you without the language!

Work schedule

I work 20 hours a week. That is the maximum allowed for a student. I organize my schedule depending on my studies. I have a more or less stable schedule, according to which I worked last semester. Most likely it will change next semester.

I work 2.5 days, partly in the office, partly from home. Of course, there are overtime hours, but they are not forced, I just sometimes realize that it is worth sitting longer.

Earnings

Average salary for a Working Student, maybe even a little above average. It's more than a standard block account. It is difficult to estimate whether I have enough for all my expenses. I live with a young man who works full time and we share expenses. I think I could live on my income, but I would have to think more about money.

Does work interfere with your studies?

Work definitely takes up time. It doesn't interfere with my studies, as I set my own schedule, but yes, I don't fit into the standard three semesters (Regelstudienzeit), I will study 4 or 5. If I decided to finish my studies in three semesters, I would hardly be able to combine it with work.

In my opinion, work is an important experience for future career. Therefore, I advise you not to hurry to finish your studies, but to combine it with work in your specialty.

Colleagues

I have found a great team. Apart from the fact that our department globally sits in different countries and English is the corporate language, the colleagues in our office are also from different countries. All communication takes place in English.

Also everyone is eager to find their fellow countrymen. The international office is cool, so even here there is no breakdown if you don't speak German. The attitude is very friendly, for that I am individually grateful to this job!

# my work

# my work Lydia

What's your name, where are you from, how old are you, what city do you live in?

Lydia, I'm from Chelyabinsk, I'm 25 years old. Now I live in Düsseldorf.

Where do you go to school?

I'm studying chemistry at the Heinrich Heine University.

Where do you work, what is your job title, what job tasks do you perform?

My first full-time job was as a salesperson in a bakery/cafe. If you've ever been to Germany, you probably know about the local bakeries, they are literally everywhere. My job duties are to put out the goods in the morning, restock the display cases during the day, clean up in the evening, serve the customers, and help them decide what they want to buy. Very often people want direct detailed information about the ingredients. Well, and in the evening all the paperwork of counting the cash register and filling out reporting forms.

How quickly did you find a job, did it take you a long time to find the right one, where exactly: job sites, agencies, friends, etc.?

I started working at the bakery in my second semester, and in my first semester I worked a little part-time as a babysitter. It took about a week to find a job. I was looking for a job in a bakery. I submitted my resume to two places: a bakery near my home and online at Studitemps.


Studitemps is a recruitment agency for students, which more often offers short-term or one-day part-time jobs. But sometimes there are also long-term contracts, as in my case. When you send your resume, you don't know for which firm. The vacancy only states the type of activity, requirements and approximate location.

What were the employer's requirements and did you meet them?

Basically, you don't need to be a genius for such a job. Instead of an interview with the employer, I had a telephone conversation with a representative of the agency. He asked me if I had experience and how I envisioned working in a bakery. After five minutes of conversation, I was assigned a trial day.

How many hours a week do you work, are there any overtime, how do you combine work and study? Is the money you earn enough for all your expenses or only partially?

According to the conditions of the residence permit, I could work no more than 20 hours a week. Since the bakery worked until 10 pm, students were more often given shifts from 2 pm to 10 pm. My studies were almost always finished by that time. If classes were later on some days, they just didn't put me on the schedule. Everything was quite flexible. I had to be careful not to overwork, because that would be a violation of the conditions of my stay in the country.

In the first year, while I was working through an agency, I was paid 10 euros an hour. Then I signed a contract directly with a bakery and the pay was raised to 10.5. That was enough to cover all my expenses, even clothes and travel. I also had a full paid vacation.

Does it interfere with your studies, does it fit into the Regelstudienzeiten?

I don't fit in 6 semesters, but I'm not sure if it's the work.

In general, I know a few guys from the faculty who made it through the term, but they put all their energies into their studies. I have a much easier attitude to these limits. In addition to work, I travel a lot, I do not neglect my hobbies and I get enough sleep:)

Was it difficult to find a common language with German/foreign colleagues? Were there any mishaps?

I was very lucky with the team. People were very helpful and tolerant of each other. There were other students besides me. I think that's why I worked there for 2.5 years. I am still in touch with some of my former colleagues.

Why do you talk about your job in the past tense? You're not working now?

There will be a follow up interview where I will talk about why I left the bakery and where I work now.