Student jobs to write home about - Earning money in unusual ways

Looking for ways to make some money without making a long commute? How about a part-time job at the university? Not only is it near your classes, but it’s also ideal for preparing yourself for professional life. Part 3 of our series takes a closer look at some of the most exciting student jobs on campus.

by Hanna Irabi

Juggling between work and study

Jonglage, Bild: Irabi/DAAD

Christine Oymann can juggle five pins at once. With an expression of intense concentration, she moves elegantly and playfully as she catches and throws. Since she began juggling ten years ago, Christine has participated in numerous festivals and competitions around the world. Now a student at the University of Bielefeld, she offers juggling courses to fellow students. The University of Bielefeld, like many universities in Germany, offers more than 50 different athletic courses free of charge, ranging from chess and yoga to aerobics. Christine is one of many athletically talented students who teach their favourite sport to others. When she first began studying, she discovered that her university offered juggling just once a week. She contacted the athletic department and was promptly offered a job to coach a second course. Since she had experience leading workshops and had passed a First Aid course, she fulfilled all the prerequisites.

Together with her colleague Robin Riecke, the 24-year-old now offers two two-hour courses a week. Of course, at 12 euros an hour, she doesn’t earn enough to pay for her studies, but that’s not the most important thing. “Earning money is not my number-one priority. I get to practice my skills while teaching others,” Christine explains. The participants decide for themselves what they want to work on. Some focus on honing their technique while others are just starting to learn the ‘ball basics’. Christine helps them, gives them advice and finds juggling partners for them, because “we don’t just juggle by ourselves, we toss balls and pins back and forth to each other,” she says. Juggling is more than a part-time job for Christine – it’s also a way to combine physical and mental training. Most importantly it gives her the chance to share her passion with other students during training sessions.
Link: www.adh.de/

Voice of the student body

Campusradio, Irabi/DAAD

Sometimes a university seminar can change your life – as Miriam Belke can attest. Only a few years ago, this student of Linguistics and Law had no interest whatsoever in radio. But thanks to a class at university, she ended up becoming the editor-in-chief of the campus radio station Hertz 87.9 in Bielefeld. “I took a very exciting radio seminar and was so enthused that I immediately applied for a two-month internship at Hertz 87.9,” Miriam recalls. She became the programme editor for arts and culture and the head of training. With that experience under her belt, Miriam met all the important criteria for the post of editor-in-chief. If you want to be the boss, you have to have prior experience in another position at the station. Furthermore, you should be good at producing radio pieces, presenting and reading the news. Only then can you be appointed to the position by the other editors. Miriam Belke has been on the job for about a year and has a variety of responsibilities. “I’m in charge of the programme. That means that I’m personally responsible for everything that goes on the air,” she says with a grin. She also ensures that the operations in the editorial department run smoothly, mediates between colleagues with differing opinions, holds weekly editorial meetings, takes care of archiving the broadcasts and is the contact partner “for everything that no one else is responsible for.”

The 26-year-old student spends an average of 20 to 25 hours a week at the student-run radio station. She especially likes working with her fellow editors, a “colourful bunch” of students from various departments and of varying ages. “And I just love sitting behind the microphone,” she gushes. She gets the opportunity to do just that in the radio show “Der Morgen”, which she co-hosts with two other editors once a week. Miriam sees her experience as editor-in-chief of the university radio station as good preparation for her future career. “I’d really like to work in radio. At a public broadcaster, if possible.”

Almost every German university has a radio station on campus. Some have even developed a trainee program, which gives new staff members insights on how radio is done and teaches them all the things the need to know to work at the campus radio. 
Link: www.radiohertz.de/beta-site

Service for bookworms

Bibliothek, Bild: Irabi/DAAD

For almost one and a half years, Igballe Maxhuni has been working at what one might call the heart of every university – the central library.  Around 19 hours a week you will find her at the lending terminal where she takes back and lends out books to students. Igballe earns enough at the library to finance her entire studies. The 24-year-old, who arrived in Germany from Kosovo three years ago, speaks German with almost no accent. Her language proficiency was an important prerequisite for working at the library. Applicants should also like working with others, be accurate and reliable. The University of Bielefeld has been employing students to support the library staff for about ten years now. In addition to manning the lending terminal, student employees are primarily responsible for tidying the reading rooms, reserving books, scanning books and newspaper articles for online users and delivering the mail. Students who work at the library also play a crucial role when improvements are made. For example, their feedback influenced how the user interface for the lending accounts was modified.

Libraries usually offer students a three- to six-month contract, which can be extended if both parties are satisfied with the working relationship. Igballe is one of many students who have been working at the university library for years. The future lawyer is still very happy with her job. “Right from the very start, they had confidence in me and I was allowed to work independently. But the best thing is that my job is right here at the university. When my classes are over, I can go and start working right away...it’s great!”

Advice: Almost every university needs student employees on a regular basis. If you are interested in library work, just go to the main desk and ask how to apply.