Working in the hospitality industry or retail
Maastricht offers a bustling restaurant/bar/cafe/shopping life. This naturally means that, particularly during the summer season, there is plenty of work in the hospitality industry. Many students in Maastricht opt for working as a waiter, bar-tender, or food courier. It also means that there are plenty of opportunities for part-time retail positions year-round to work alongside your studies.
Take part in the Earn and Learn scheme!
The vacancies listed here are provided as part of an initiative that supports international students at UM to work a side job in hospitality/retail in Maastricht and learn Dutch at the same time.
- If you sign a contract of 6 months with a business that is taking part in this scheme, you will have the opportunity to take an intensive 14-hour Introduction to Dutch course completely free of charge and paid for by your employer!
- The 2 hours per week required to complete this course will be included in your scheduled work time. Apply to any of the jobs below now.
Click here to see the jobs available: Earn and Learn jobs
(If you participate in this scheme and there are issues with your employer upholding the conditions of the initiative please send an email to info@mymaastricht.nl with ‘Earn and Learn Scheme’ in the subject line.)
*Disclaimer: The Earn and Learn scheme and its conditions are solely for informational and advisory purposes. It constitutes a non-binding proposal and does not create any legal obligations or rights. The authors and the organisations they represent shall not be held liable for any failure to implement the recommendations contained herein, nor for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, losses, or disruptions arising from the use of this document or reliance upon its contents. All decisions and actions taken based on this proposal are the sole responsibility of the recipient.
Applying for a job
In the Netherlands the process is similar to most other countries. Most often you need to write your CV, make a cover letter, practice your interview skills, dress appropriately, etc. However, what may be different in the Netherlands compared to your home country is that it is normal to include a photo in your CV.
UM Career Services supports students in their professional development to become employable and to be able to make well-considered study choices. They offer tailored and personal guidance, the university also offers quick career advice, walk-in student guidance, individual career counseling, and advice to start your own business. Maastricht University alumni can participate until six months after graduation.
If you are a UM student, you can also check out the Personal and Professional Development Portal, where you can find a broad range of opportunities to improve your employability skills, including the best vacancy search engines, interesting internet tools and upcoming (networking) events of both internal and external parties
Finding work through a job agency
Another way to look for work is through a temping/employment agency (uitzendbureau). The agency will act as your employer and match you to companies that need temporary workers. Some examples of employment agencies in the Netherlands are:
- Adams Multilingual Recruitment (connects multilingual talents with international organisations in the Netherlands)
These are just some examples to get you started – there are plenty of others!
Extra links and resources
- InterUM’s (Maastricht University’s employment agency) vacancy board
- For EEA+Swiss nationals: search for jobs in the Netherlands on the EURES (European Employment Services) website
- werk.nl also has a vacancy board
- Academic Positions has a list of academic and research jobs at various universities and institutions in the Netherlands
- General job search website banenrijklimburg.nl
- Academic and non-academic jobs at universities – Academic transfer
- International jobs in the Maastricht area and elsewhere in the Netherlands
As a general rule, your chances of finding work in the Netherlands vastly increase if you hold at least a bachelor’s degree. If you come with a foreign diploma, your employer may ask for it to be evaluated – you can do this at the International Credential Information Centre (IDW). You may also be interested in comparing your foreign diploma with Dutch diplomas.
