Leiden University Career Zone

Working during your studies

Employers highly appreciate students who demonstrate growth beyond academics. So, take the time to develop yourself alongside your studies! Don’t wait until graduation - boost your employability while you're still studying. What steps can you take?

Think of these options:

Become an active member of your study association: You will develop a network with people with shared or similar interests. If a study association is not your cup of tea, active participation in any kind of organisation may be useful (e.g. student associations, sports, religious institutions etc.).
Part-time work: it might be tough to find a part-time job as a non-Dutch speaker as many employers will require knowledge of the Dutch language. However, many (international) stores or chains and more and more restaurants and bars do hire non-Dutch speakers. Go and find out!
Volunteer: especially for those interested to work in the public sector or an NGO: both greatly appreciate people with ‘social engagement’. Volunteering is a great way to prove that you are indeed engaged with society. ‘Volunteer The Hague’ offers volunteering work for non-Dutch speakers!
Do an internship: this allows you to gain study-related work experience and builds your network. If you choose to do an internship in the Netherlands, you will learn about the Dutch working culture as well and might be able to continue your career as an employee of the organisation.
Learn Dutch: it helps a lot, especially if you plan to stay long term. There are different options to learn Dutch, think of courses and initiatives in the area where you live (e.g. in The Hague), practice reading the free newspaper ‘Metro’ during train rides, download language apps, or exchange languages with a ‘taalmaatje’ (language buddy).
Build your network: both within university (fellow students, teachers, mentor network) & outside university (expat communities, fellow country(wo)men, the Holland Alumni network, and see above).
Visit career events: such as I am not a tourist or The Campus The Hague Career Event and other workshops offered by the Career Service.
Visit the Leiden University CareerZone: find an overview of all activities you can do during each stage of your studies.

Regulations for NON-EU/AAE Students (2020)
Students from EU/EEA countries do not encounter legal boundaries when entering the Dutch labour market. If you do not have a passport from an EU/EEA country, there are possibilities to work in the Netherlands, but according to strict rules and regulations (these rules are subject to regular changes, Leiden University cannot be held accountable for any outdated or incorrect information).

During your studies you can work:
• Part-time (max 16h a week) throughout the year OR full-time (40h a week) during June, July and August. You cannot do both.
• You need a work permit for students, the employer needs to apply for this (can take up to 5 weeks). Some employers are not informed about the rules and regulations, you can refer them to www.werk.nl.
• On www.studyinholland.nl you can find more information and necessary documents.

Internships
During your studies you can do an internship in The Netherlands. You are allowed to do an internship as long as it is approved by the university. The rules and regulations may vary depending on your faculty. As university approval is required, please check the specifics with your faculty’s Career Service.