Your rights

If you have a student job it is important to know your rights. That is always important, so you get what you are entitled to. For example, when you have been an employee somewhere for a month, and if you have more than eight hours a week you have the right to get an employment contract.

An employment contract is your safety at your workplace. The contract should be signed by both you and your employer, and you should have a copy. It’s a good idea to get some help from your trade-union or someone else, who knows something about contracts. Moreover, you got the right for holyday pay and maybe for pay while you are sick, and if you are fired you got the right for a proper explanation. Moreover, you got the right for a safe work environment.

You may benefit from checking whether your workplace have an agreement. An agreement is a deal your employer have made with a trade-union about days off, salary, work hours and the like. An agreement ensures proper conditions at your workplace. If there is an agreement at your workplace, you shall be certain that you are hired at those conditions, because if there is an agreement your workplace shall respect it.

If there isn’t an agreement you yourself have to negotiate with your workplace about work conditions and salary. Here, you can read more about which rights you have at your student job. If you think you are unfairly treated at your workplace you should talk to your employer and maybe contact your trade-union.

If you are not a member of a trade-union, consider joining one. If you are a member of a trade-union, someone has your back when you are at the labor market. Your trade-union can help you with your rights as a student. In addition, a trade-union can help you, if you get into trouble at your workplace. They know the rules, so you don’t need to.

There are differences between trade-unions, so choose a trade-union that knows something about the work you do.

Put yourself in a good light

Of course, you can’t have your student job forever. One day, when you graduate, you’ll need to exchange your student job with a job.

Sometimes, you can be lucky, and be free from the application-racket simply just because your employer at your student job is pleased with you, and therefore have a job for you when you graduate. If that’s a job you want that is a dream scenario. However, that isn’t to expect, and a new contract with your former student job after you graduate doesn’t happen without a reason; you shall put yourself in a good light before there’s even a chance that will happen.

To be a good employee, of course you must be on time, do your work properly, and at the same time behave at your workplace. If you also fit in with the jargon at your workplace it goes well.

Be committed in your work, and see the opportunities – also even if you’re currently not doing something you like because your current work assignment might lead to something better in the future.

You can benefit from trying to improve your work qualifications, so that you can do various job assignments. That shows your employer that you are talented, and that you want the job. Therefore, find out how you can become better at what your workplace does. Show some initiative; that always looks good.

The more you do to get noticed (in the good way that is) the bigger the chances are for advancing. Most preferable you make yourself indispensable, but that is rarely possible, so at least make sure that your employer and your colleagues see your potential – and that you stay on good terms with them.

It can be a good idea to be on good terms with both your employer and your colleagues, because you need to fit into the company – in the end it usually is a manager who has the final word when it comes to employment conditions.