Profitable places – Christmas markets
The easiest way to find a side job is at one of the thousands of Christmas markets. Some serve hot mulled wine, others sell Christmas decorations and gifts. Earnings – from seven to ten euros per hour, shift work. Usually students work in the evenings after classes at universities. And although it is better to look for such a job in October-November, in December there are still chances to get hired.
Shortage of mulled wine sellers
Christmas markets are unimaginable without mulled wine. According to statistics, Germans drink about 50 million liters of this hot alcoholic beverage per year. With such demand, it is not surprising that already opened markets continue to look for additional helpers. A sign on one of the pavilions of the Christmas market at Rudolfplatz in Cologne is evidence of this.
Florists have plenty of work in December
In December, flower shops in Germany are always full of customers. Florists barely have time to put together winter bouquets and Christmas wreaths from fir branches and bright New Year's decorations. Often they cannot do without the help of students. They not only assist florists in the shops themselves, but also work as couriers, delivering orders to customers' homes.
"Warm spots" in bakeries and pastry shops
In numerous German bakeries and pastry shops, they bake and sell Christmas treats: cookies of various types and shapes, gingerbread, marzipan rolls... The masters bake them, but to cope with the numerous pre-holiday orders, they need assistants. The work is hourly and at times convenient for students – early in the morning and in the afternoon.
Gifts need wrapping…
Supermarkets and large shopping centers hire students in November-December to wrap gifts. Beginners take an introductory course and immediately start working – there is plenty of work in the pre-holiday days. The pay is piece-rate – 8.50 euros per hour.
...And buyers need advice!
What to buy as a Christmas gift for family and loved ones? This question torments millions of people in Germany. To advise them on something suitable and, of course, sell their products at the same time, many stores offer students side jobs as consultants on the sales floor with pay up to 450 euros per month.
Christmas tree sellers
In December, Christmas tree markets open in Germany. There are many students among the sellers. The work is not easy: all day in the cold. But the pay is higher than in other places: from 8 to 14 euros per hour. Mostly guys work at the Christmas tree markets: trees come in different sizes, some are heavy. They have to show them, wrap them, and sometimes load them into customers' cars.
At post offices
In the pre-Christmas period, the German postal service has a lot of work. Starting in November, it delivers about two and a half million parcels per day. Before Christmas, this number doubles, so it is difficult to do without the help of students. Temporary assistants earn no less than regular employees – approximately around 11 euros per hour.
Santa Clauses earn the best
In every city there are agencies that recruit people willing to become Santa Clauses (in German – Weihnachtsmann). On the eve of the winter holidays, they can earn from 200 to 500 euros per day, depending on the number of home visits with gifts for children. Santas also come to adults at corporate parties. Often, in addition to the agreed pay, they also receive good tips.