University Post tracks down summer jobs

Not all jobs offered in Denmark during the summer are available to non-Danish speakers. The University Post has gone undercover to see what it is like to find a job as an international student in Copenhagen

by Patricia Trincado

If you want to spend the summer in Copenhagen it is a good idea to find a summer job to help you to afford the festivals, picnics, and all the fun stuff that the city offers.

But, if you are not all that interested in the money, but in living new experiences and meeting new people, volunteering might be a good option for you.

The University Post has gone undercover pretending to be an international student. We've looked for a job in order to see the difficulties and real opportunities that Copenhagen offers to internationals. Here are the ideas for summer jobs and volunteer activities that we've found.

Failure at the airport

You may think that Copenhagen Airport is one of the best places to find a job for international students... However, nothing could be further from the truth.

We tried at Lufthavnsvikar, a company that offers different positions to work at the airport, and we failed outright.

»Our customers require all personnel to speak Danish or Swedish,« explained the manager Sherif A. Wahab.

Canal Tours, need Danish too

We also tried at various canal tour companies.

We thought that a company that works mainly with tourists would not require their staff to speak Danish...but we were wrong again.

There is a minimum language requirement of Danish and English too.

Volunteering, a good option

Volunteering is always a good idea to make the most of your summer vacation and meet different people. And as we discovered, it is pretty simple to volunteer in Copenhagen.

Although you will not get any money, you will receive some meals, t-shirts and even some free tickets for different events.

CPH Volunteers is the largest volunteer agency in Copenhagen. They are looking for people to work in events such as the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (1-10 July), BMX World Championship (24-31 July) or the Strøm festival of electronical music (19-21 August).

Read here more on how to volunteer and about the different events

Summer camps, you also volunteer

Like to go on adventures? Then the best summer job for you might to be to volunteer in a summer camp.

We spoke with FDF Camps. They explained that their organization offers a unique camp experience, a big Danish network and the chance of making a difference for children and young people. At their summer camps you can learn a lot of skills and try new experiences.

Read here more about FDF Summer Camps

There are many interesting available positions such as mountain bike instructor, receptionist, zumba instructor, etc.

Check here the available posts

The page is in Danish, but he positions are both for Danish and non-Danish speakers. Contact with Zakarias Larsen to know more about the different posts: zakarias@FDF.dk or call 4173 1190.

Au pair in a Danish family

Being an au pair will give you the possibility of working in Denmark during the summer. Sybil Touyz, the director of JCR, an aupair agency, explained that they recruit young people between 18 and 30.

The deal? You help to look after the children of a host family and you get free accommodation and board, and sometimes some pocket-money.

Click here for more information about being an au pair in Denmark

Find your host family here

If you do not feel like living at someone’s house, try to put up announcements in languages schools offering yourself as a baby-sitter during the summer holidays, when parents may not be able to take care of their children. Offer yourself as a good chance for their children to practice another language.

Strawberry pickers

Apart from volunteering we thought of trying out a seasonal job. It seemed to be an interesting option for working during the summer while enjoying nature.

We spoke with 'Seasonal Work in Denmark' and we succeeded: There are many available positions for working in the countryside picking different fruits or vegetables.

»Applicants do not need to speak Danish, but a minimum of English is required,« explained Jørgen Uldall-Ekman, the recruitment consultant for the company.

It is a commission work, meaning that you get a wage equivalent to what you pick. The accommodation is offered in camping (with access to shower, kitchen and internet facilities), but you will have to bring your own tent and cooking utensils.

»Employers value previous work experience and if applicants are already in Denmark, they can start immediately,« Jørgen said.

Check here the different positions

Ice cream everywhere

You will not see someone walking through the streets of Copenhagen on a warm day without an ice cream in their hand... So we decided to try in an ice-cream shop.

Manolo Gelato is a small ice cream parlour in which we found a fun job for international students: Selling ice-cream around the city from an ice cream bike.

This job is perfect for non-Danish speakers because, in words of the manager, »the attraction is the bike itself and speaking Danish is not necessary.«

Contact with Manolo Gelato: manolo@manolo.is or call 3297 9393

Click here for more information about Manolo Gelato

It was not easy, but we found some interesting jobs and volunteer activities in Copenhagen for non-Danish speakers. However they are not for us, they are for you, so call straight away!

Uni-avis@adm.ku.dk

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