Applying for a student job in Germany: short German cover letter with template
For student jobs, a short, friendly email with your CV is usually enough. What matters: the employer sees right away when and how much you can work.
What goes into the cover letter
- What you study and in which semester
- How many hours you can work (e.g. "up to 20 hours a week, more during the semester breaks")
- When you can start and which days you're free
- One or two relevant strengths, e.g. service experience, languages, reliability
- For non-EU students: one sentence saying you have a student work permit
It rarely needs more than 150 words. Write it in German – even simple, correct German makes a much better impression than English.
Template: service helper (in German)
Betreff: Bewerbung als Aushilfe im Service – Laura Hoffmann
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
ich studiere im dritten Semester Wirtschaftsinformatik an der Universität Hamburg und suche einen Nebenjob im Service. Ihre Anzeige hat mich sofort angesprochen.
Im Semester kann ich bis zu 20 Stunden pro Woche arbeiten, vor allem abends und am Wochenende; in den Semesterferien auch mehr. In meinem Heimatland habe ich bereits ein Jahr in einem Café gearbeitet. Ich bin freundlich, belastbar und spreche Deutsch (B2) und Englisch.
Meinen Lebenslauf finden Sie im Anhang. Über eine Einladung zum Probearbeiten freue ich mich.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Laura Hoffmann
0151 23456789
Documents
- CV (Lebenslauf) – one page is enough: build a German CV
- Certificate of enrolment (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung) – often only for the contract, for Werkstudent jobs sometimes with the application
- Residence permit (non-EU) – at the latest when you're hired
Tips
- Be quick: helper jobs are often filled within days.
- Short and correct beats long and complicated. Use our cover letter generator.
- Apply widely: ten short, personal emails beat one perfect one.
Student jobs in Germany
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