You find a working-student role by searching specifically for roles that fit your studies or ambitions, through your programme, job platforms, communities and companies themselves, and by basing your application on what you've already done. Working higher-education students in the third quarter of 2023 most often worked as sales assistants in retail, in hospitality or as shelf stockers [1], so a job in your field isn't a given. Research by SEO Economic Research found that graduates with a side job in a relevant sector found a first substantial job faster on average [2].
Step by step
- Decide what you're looking for: the type of work, the number of hours and your availability in exam periods. In 2023 working higher-education students had an average usual working time of about 18.7 hours a week [1]; that's an average, not a norm.
- Search several channels at once: your programme's career office, job platforms, your study association and communities. VOIDS has a WhatsApp community with suitable vacancies every week, a job board where you can apply yourself and a talent pool in which we match you proactively [3].
- Make your application specific: what you've done, how you work and what you're looking for. How to go about that is in our article on a match profile that stands out.
- Before you sign, ask about hours, pay, contract, guidance and flexibility around exams.
- Check whether the vacancy is reliable.
What do you ask in advance about pay and hours?
As of 1 July 2026 the statutory minimum wage is € 14.99 gross per hour from age 21, with lower amounts by age for 15 to 20 [4]. Your employer may therefore not go below that floor; see our article on the minimum wage for working students. Ask about the hourly rate, the hours per week, the length of the contract, the probation period and what has been agreed around exams, and ask for it in writing.
Can you work as much as you like next to your studies?
DUO states that since 2020 you may earn without limit, with no earnings ceiling affecting your student finance [5]. How many hours are feasible next to your studies differs per person and per period; there's no fixed norm. If you're an international student from outside the EEA, separate rules apply, see our article on that. Read more about tax and benefits in our article on student finance and working.
How do you recognise a reliable vacancy?
The Dutch Fraud Helpdesk warns about fake job ads, often for work from home, in which you're approached unasked, have to move to WhatsApp and must first transfer money to be able to do tasks. Don't respond to unsolicited job offers and don't pay for work for which you should be the one being paid [6]. In addition, according to the Dutch data protection authority, an employer may not ask for a copy of your identity document or your citizen service number during the application stage; that's only allowed once you start working there [7]. More on recognising fake job ads is in our article on that.
What does VOIDS offer students?
According to our website, taking part is always free for you: companies pay for placements, not the students and starters in our community. We only share your profile with an employer if there's a concrete match [3].
Sources
- CBS (2023): Scholieren voortgezet onderwijs werkten derde kwartaal 11 uur per week (met tabellen gebruikelijke arbeidsduur en top 3 beroepen), accessed 11 October 2026.
- SEO Economisch Onderzoek (2023): Studie & Werk HO: de arbeidsmarktpositie van hbo- en wo-alumni (Bussink, Van der Ven & Klinker, in opdracht van EW Magazine), accessed 11 October 2026.
- VOIDS: Talent: community, jobboard en talentpool, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid (2026): Bedragen minimumloon 2026, accessed 11 October 2026.
- DUO (2026): Bijverdienen, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Fraudehelpdesk: Ik heb gereageerd op een vacature, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (2025): Personal data of applicants, accessed 11 October 2026.
Transparency: VOIDS connects working students with organisations and therefore has an interest in this topic. We back up facts with sources and connect research and trends to our own experience from practice.
