During your studies in the Netherlands, your study programme might allow you to explore professions through internships. These can be extremely instructive and give you a good sense of what you want for your professional future. Internships are usually also unpaid, however, and as the bills don’t pay themselves, you might want to earn a bit extra on the side by getting a part-time job. Let’s talk internships and student jobs, before turning to the practical aspects of education in the Netherlands.
Woman showing a photo of the human head
Internships
During your studies you will likely have work placement opportunities. These are usually a mandatory part of your studies at a university of applied sciences. Internships often take somewhere between five to ten months, in which you will get acquainted with a specific profession. Some study programmes require you to do multiple internships. The final period before you graduate often takes place within a professional organisation as well. Usually, you’re allowed to pick the organisation yourself, so long as the internship itself and the assignment you will take on match your studies. Furthermore, many organisations have ready-for-use assignments or projects that are compatible with your specific study programme. Jobteaser is a online platform that combines al these assignments and internships. If you look for a parttime job, an apprenticeship and/or an internship you should start here!
Find a parttime job, apprenticeship or internship
It’s less common, but definitely not impossible, to partake in an internship while studying at an academic university. Each educational institution — and even every individual faculty — offers various options for you to get an inside view of professional life. Radboud University, for instance, tends to be rather theoretical. This means that if you want to do an internship during your bachelor’s, you should arrange this yourself. It’s possible to write your thesis for a professional organisation, and a supervisor will help you with the arrangements. Wageningen University & Research is more practical in its orientation, so there’s an increased chance that you will get to work in your professional field of choice during your studies.
You might want to make a bit of extra money during your time in university, especially if you have some time to spare. If you are from the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Croatia, there are no restrictions on having a job on the side while you're in university in the Netherlands. If you are from another country, there are restrictions on taking on a job alongside your studies.
The websites, Study in Holland & Study in Arnhem collected and organised information with regards to having a job as a foreign student in the Netherlands.
International Student Work, connects students to local companies. This platform sees an ever growing amount of local business dealing with an employee shortage. However, at the same time, more and more students from all over the world apply to Radboud University and the HAN. We found that especially these international students are motivated to work a part-time job (74%).
Working with students on your innovations?
Meet Tinus Hammink, programme manager of the Sustainable Electrical Energy Centre of Expertise (SEECE) of the HAN University of Applied Sciences. The HAN has 30,000 students in Arnhem and Nijmegen, of which 10% are from abroad. Through SEECE, students are training for the professions of the future. Real-life projects with researchers and companies stimulate their know-how as well as their creativity, thereby significantly boosting their skill set. Businesses looking for tomorrow’s employees needn’t look any further — the energy revolution starts here!
