Student job
Student job
4 tips for your student job search in Denmark
Many students look for student jobs and have a hard time finding one – even Danish students! Therefore, you need to make an effort and to describe your competencies from former studies and jobs.
Participate in career events where you will learn e.g. to understand Danish workplace culture and how to make your CV and cover letter in a way that appeals to Danish employers.
- 1
Find a student job advertisement or a company you are interested in reaching out to unsolicited.
- 2
Practice writing your CV and cover letter the Danish way - consider using the templates in Jofibo.
- 3
Be specific and clear. It takes research to speak into the heart of an organisation. Always target the company and job. Never send a standard CV og cover letter!
- 4
Book career guidance and get some new inspiration and a new perspective on your CV and cover letter.
See examples of CVs and cover letters
More student jobs have a correlation with a statistical probability of getting into work sooner.
See the latest student jobs in AAU Jobbank:
Are Danish language skills really a must?
For international students it can be difficult to get a job due to lack of Danish language skills. Therefore, we strongly advise you to learn Danish at the language school.
Unskilled student job
What are my rights?
You may think that it is "just" a student job, but you still have rights! In many cases, some very specific rules apply, and there are certain things you are entitled to. E.g., you should have an employment contract signed by both you and your employer. This is your security in the workplace, so make sure you read it carefully. You're also entitled to a safe working environment and a proper explanation if you are fired.
If you are in doubt about e.g. your salary level, you can get help from your trade union. Membership of trade unions is often free as a student.
Source: Ballisager's recruitment analysis 2023
Danish companies' best advice
75 %
of the companies recommend working alongside studies
The best advice when looking for a student job is definitely to follow your interests and passion. This is usually where you will succeed. It is much more fun to work with something you find exciting.
Experience both during and after your studies
Freelance work
As a student and recent graduate, there are many opportunities to gain relevant experience in Denmark. One of them is solving tasks as a freelancer.
Freelancing gives a lot of freedom, but can also be challenging, as you must work yourself to get assignments, and you rarely get a close work relationship with those you collaborate with. However, you can build a large network more quickly.
What does it mean to be a freelancer?
When you are freelancing, you act as a small company ("one-man consultancy") and solve tasks for companies and organisations.
You are not employed and permanently attached to one workplace. You will typically be employed on a contract basis, based on a task or timeframe. When the task is solved and the contract fulfilled, it is on to the next task, most often in a different place.
Is it the same as being an entrepreneur?
As a freelancer, you are not necessarily an entrepreneur because you do not necessarily have the growth, development, and scaling of a business as your purpose. Your agenda is deciding your own tasks and not being "bound" to one workplace. If you are interested in entrepreneurship, you can read more about your options at AAU Student Entrepreneurship
"Zeggi" Tesfazgi Kassa
"I have learnt more about selling in my student job than in any of my education. Many unskilled jobs provide you with skills that may be relevant later on, and no matter what, you’ll always improve your personal competencies, such as for instance being service-minded, detail-oriented or outgoing. In other words: You will always learn something in your jobs."
Juliana Guerreiro Barbosa Leite
"I saw they were looking for an intern but I wanted a student job, so I decided to send my CV anyway. I didn’t have any job experience with digital marketing, but I created a marketing plan for them. I believe I got the student job, even though they were looking for an intern, because I was prepared and I put the effort into creating the plan before the interview."