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What are the top holiday jobs for students in Germany?

The Christmas holidays offer students many flexible job opportunities in industries which can help to sharpen transferrable skills. Here's where - and how - to apply.

Published: 5 December 2019 13:46 CET

What are the top holiday jobs for students in Germany?

A student working in an office over Christmas. Photo: DPA

Classes are wrapping up, revision is done and you’ve finished up the last of your exams for the year!

Tempting as it is to kick back and binge on all the available Netflix boxsets, you might be thinking that this is a good time to bank a little extra income.

Seasonal jobs are ideal for gaining initial experience in the world of work and a nice boost to your bank account for the coming year!

It's not hard to find Christmastime work in Germany, usually minus the holiday sweater. Photo: DPA

Future employers always appreciate students taking on seasonal work, as it shows a willingness to get stuck in and gain some more experience. It is also a great chance to hone social skills such as manners, punctuality and customer service; all things that are useful for future applications!

What kinds of seasonal jobs should students look for?

The Christmas holidays and the build-up to them offer students many flexible job opportunities in industries which can help to sharpen your transferrable skills. Here are some popular seasonal options for students:

Bar and restaurant staff. Christmas work parties; friends and family getting together to celebrate; and tourists visiting the famed German Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets).

December is a busy time for the gastronomy industry! Students can often easily pick up hours in bars, cafes and restaurants seeking to cope with their numbers and increased number of guests. Tips are generally quite good as people are feeling more generous during the festive season.

Events and catering. Bars and restaurants are great, but don’t forget to check out catering and event companies too. At this time of year, there are big Christmas dinners, balls and company events so there’s generally a solid demand for work in event and catering companies.

Whether you assist with logistics, set-up or hosting on the day, there are many opportunities for students. Big recruitment websites like Indeed will have plenty of offers, but why not check out other specialised websites such as HotelCareer or Apetito Catering?

Photo: DPA

Courier/delivery worker. More and more people opt to do their Christmas shopping or order food online because they don’t fancy facing the chilly winter winds. The result being delivery drivers certainly have no shortage of work at this time of year. Alternatively, there are also general roles available in warehouses and the sorting rooms of post offices.

Check out companies such as Lieferando, DHL, DPD and Hermes, or even enquire with local restaurants whether they are in need of extra delivery drivers. Alternatively, there are also generally roles available in warehouses, particularly Amazon, and the sorting rooms of post offices.

Pet-sitting. Those with experience of caring for pets should consider pet-sitting during the holidays. There are lots of mobile apps like Rover and Pawshake in additional to lots of Facebook groups for various cities that you can join and advertise your services.

This can be a fun and easy way to earn some extra pocket money while helping owners who are away during the holidays and unable to take their furry friend with them.

Retail. A holiday season staple. Retail stores often take on extra staff to cope over the Christmas holidays, but it’s worth getting your application in early as they normally start taking on staff in November.

If you’re interested in working on the shop floor, a reasonable command of German is necessary to give the customer service needed, but back-office roles may be more flexible.

Malls like this one in Erfurt are busy places over the holidays. Photo: DPA

Customer Service. Gift giving is a wonderful thing, but invariably there is always the odd gift that doesn’t quite hit the mark, or the receiver isn’t sure how to use it. To tackle the increased demand on their services, many companies try to boost the availability of their customer service support.

Whether it’s via telephone, webchat or answering emails, getting some customer service skills under your belt will serve any student well for future employment.

If multi-lingual support can be provided, even better. Websites such as Studitemps are great for students looking to pick up work or even just shifts in areas like customer service and promotion.

Every experience counts!

Don’t forget, every job, no matter how long or short, is also a fabulous networking opportunity. Not only can you make new friends outside of your college, but you can connect with colleagues and managers who may be able to assist you in finding more work in the future!

Don’t forget to add this experience to both your CV and LinkedIn profile too. Employers value people who show a drive to work and the proactiveness of taking on a job during semesters.

By Catherine Flynn, Student Services Manager at Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI)

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The best-paid jobs you can get without a university degree in Germany

One of the reasons so many people decide to move to Germany is to take advantage of the healthy jobs market and decent salaries. In 2024, the average worker in the Bundesrepublik was taking home €51,900 per year before tax, and in many sectors the average is even higher.

But if you don’t have a university degree or professional qualification, you may feel like you’re limited to jobs at the bottom of the ladder and doomed to take a lower salary than you’re worth.

But there are plenty of fields with high earning potential that have relatively low barriers to entry. Which is good news for many, considering that the number of school drop-outs is rising in Germany.

Here are some of the best-paid jobs you can find in Germany that don’t require endless years of studying or training.

Real estate agent

If you think you can sell anything to anyone and love the idea of closing big deals, becoming a real estate agent – or realtor in American English – could be the way to go.

This varied job involves advising and supporting your clients in their search for a dream property, hosting viewings, creating advertising materials and contracts and ensuring all the relevant transactions go through. It’s ideal for anyone with good attention to detail and warm, sociable personality.

A miniature house with new house keys.

A miniature house with new house keys. Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash

There’s no special training or qualification required to become a real estate agent, but in Germany you do need to apply for a licence known as a Maklererlaubnis to start practising.

Once you get going, you can earn between three and seven percent commission on the sale price of each property you sell. Of course, you final salary will depend on your success rate and the property market in your area, but Stufyflix puts the average at around €3,930 per month.

U-Bahn or tram driver

Though you may not notice them most days, public transport drivers keep life moving in German cities – and they tend to be pretty well remunerated as well.

Generally, you’ll be responsible for working shifts driving trams or U-Bahns around the city, helping people get from A to B and responding appropriately in the case of an emergency.

A big advantage of moving into this profession is that you generally only need around B1 or B2 German: it’s more important to hold a driving licence and show a willingness to learn.

Another great thing to note is that these jobs are heavily unionised. Many tram and bus drivers will tell you that it’s no easy job, but at least you’ve got a union fighting to improve your pay and conditions.

For people looking to change careers, the good news is that the initial training only lasts around six months, and you’ll earn a liveable salary between €2,100 and €2,800 during this period.

After that, salaries depend on location but tend to average around €40,000 per year, with bonuses for working nights, weekends and public holidays.

Software developer

With average salaries around €5,800 per month, the IT sector is one of the most lucrative fields in the German job market.

The best part is, you don’t need a degree in computer science to get a job as a programmer in today’s market. In fact, many start-ups are happy to offer jobs – with generous starting salaries – to self-taught programmers or people who have graduated three-month bootcamps.

If you’re currently unemployed, many of these fast-track courses are paid for by the job centre, so you can learn to be a software developer completely for free. Otherwise, there are plenty of online courses you can take on websites like Udemy or books you can buy to learn languages like C+, Python and Ruby at next to no expense whatsoever.

Carpenter

Though carpenters do generally need one or two years of training, the great thing about this type of hands-on field is that you can enter as an apprentice and get paid to work while you train.

There are several different types of carpentry, from building shelving units for industrial buildings to erecting the bare bones of a residential property.

A carpenter sands down a block of wood in Cologne. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Federico Gambarini

Asking friends and colleagues to recommend a trustworthy builder is a good option. (Photo by Nasim ISAMOV / AFP)

If you’re good with your hands, love being physical active and overcoming technical challenges, carpentry could be a great career for you – and the money’s nothing to sniff at either.

Once qualified, the average carpenter in Germany earns around €43,700 per year, but this can rise to as much as €52,000. And with Germany battling a severe shortages of skilled carpenters, salaries are bound to keep rising in the coming years.

Administrative assistant

If you’re someone who likes to stay organised and presentable, then moving into a career as an administrative assistant could be the ideal move for you.

Though the specifics of the job depend on the company, most administrative assistants spend their days making sure everything in the office ticks over as it should, answering the phone, distributing memos, organising appointments, preparing reports and carrying out other important administrative tasks. In Germany, of course, you may also need to be proficient in the use of a fax machine.

Though there’s no formal qualifications or training required to become an admin assistant, you’ll need to show you have the qualities and skills required, including good organisation, excellent communication skills, the ability to multitask and strong attention to detail.

According to jobs portal WorkerHero, administrative assistants earn an average of €41,730 per year in Germany, but if you end up as a personal assistant to a high-powered corporate executive, the pay can go much higher.

Bank clerk

If you’ve got a good head for numbers and enjoy offering advice and assistance, transitioning into banking could be a sensible – and lucrative – career move.

Generally, you’ll need to do a traineeship with a bank to break into this field, but no degree is required – and once in there are good chances for progression.

Interestingly, the banking sector is one area of the economy where skilled workers are desperately needed, so get your foot in the door now and you’ll be in a great position to negotiate salaries later.

A sign for Postbank, one of the major banks in Germany.

A sign for Postbank, one of the major banks in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat

According to job search portal Indeed, the average bank clerk in Germany earns a very respectable €45,500 per year, but that can go up depending on the bank you work for and your specialisms.

If you work your way up the ladder, the pay goes up incredibly quickly, with some bank managers earning as much as €75,000 per year.

Events planner

Though events planning is no easy ride, it can be a huge buzz for people who thrive under pressure and enjoy the satisfaction of pulling off a dream wedding or a major corporate event.

People with impeccable organisation skills, a sociable attitude and naturally elegant taste will find themselves well-suited to this career, and the best part is that no formal qualifications are needed – though taking a short course could help you learn the ropes faster.

Once you’re underway and working with clients, the sky’s the limit to how much you can earn: some of the best paid wedding and events planners earn as much as €100,000 per year.

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