What do you know about working in Turkey for students?
Many questions are often raised regarding working in Turkey for students, such as whether it is permitted under Turkish law, what skills a student must possess, and the requirements that must be met in order to be allowed to work in Turke Additionally, students wonder about the best ways to find a suitable job opportunity alongside their studies, among other related questions.
So if any of these questions occupy your mind, read on as this article serves as a comprehensive guide answering all the questions related to student employment in Turkey.
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Turkish Labor Law for Foreign Students:
Turkish law permits international students, whether they are in undergraduate or graduate studies, to work in Turkey alongside their studies provided they obtain a work permit and adhere to the regulations set forth by the Turkish Directorate of Migration. One of the most notable requirements is that a student's working hours must not exceed 42 hours per week, spread over 3 or 4 days, and the student must have been in Turkey for at least one year.
Thus, we can say that a student holding a study permit in Turkey can work and continue learning at the same time.
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Jobs That International Students Can Work in Turkey:
When discussing job opportunities in Turkey for students, it is impossible to list all available positions in a single paragraph due to the vast Turkish job market. However, we can mention some of the most common fields in which students work in various cities in Turkey, namely:
- Translation from Arabic to Turkish and vice versa.
- Customer service over the phone.
- Teaching languages if proficient.
- Driving.
- Tourist guiding.
- Sales.
- Marketing.
- Accounting.
- Maintenance.
And many other jobs that a student can take up in Turkey. It is also worth mentioning that there are golden job opportunities for students—those that rely on personal skills—most notably jobs that are conducted online, such as:
- Programming.
- Design.
- Content writing.
- Online teaching.
- Social media management.
- IT support.
And many other opportunities abound in the online job market.
Now that we have discussed the most important job opportunities for students in Turkey, let us explore the key sources for finding job opportunities in Turkey.
How Do You Find a Suitable Job Opportunity in Turkey?
Searching in the wrong places for vacant positions may prevent you from finding a job that matches your skills; therefore, we advise you to search on the following websites:
- İŞKUR website
- LinkedIn website
- Secretcv website
- Elemanonline website
- Monster website
- Kariyer website
- Yenibiris website
- Jobnak website
- Xing website
- Turkey website
Alternatively, if you do not wish to rely on these websites, you can resort to traditional methods such as asking friends and acquaintances about available job opportunities in the Turkish job market or directly approaching companies. In both cases, you will need a professional resume to ensure your acceptance for any job you choose, which can be achieved by acquiring a set of skills that we will mention in the following paragraph.
What Skills Help You Find a Suitable Job Opportunity in Turkey?
In fact, finding suitable job opportunities in Turkey should not be a cause for worry!
Instead, you should strive to acquire skills that will increase your chances of being accepted and preferred over all other applicants, and among the most important of these skills are:
1- Proficiency in Turkish:
One of the most important requirements for student employment in Turkey—and a common prerequisite for most positions—is proficiency in Turkish, as it will enable you to integrate more effectively with everyone and thus increase your chances of being hired.
2- A Willingness to Learn:
It is important to discover your passion in a particular field, focus on it, learn it, and gain sufficient experience, which will make you well-qualified to work successfully in that field.
3- Balancing Studies and Work:
There is no room for being haphazard if you are a student working alongside your studies in Turkey; you must be able to organize your studies and work effectively, ensuring that your education remains your top priority without being overshadowed by anything else, while working a reasonable amount to help reduce your tuition and living expenses in Turkey, which we will discuss further shortly.
Living Costs in Turkey for Students:
If you wish to come to Turkey to study, you should know that there are certain costs you must consider. The first category relates to tuition fees, which vary between public and private universities, between different fields of study, and between different levels of education, as the cost of undergraduate studies is lower than that of graduate studies.
In addition, the student may incur other expenses related to books, notebooks, and other materials needed during their years of study.
The other category of expenses pertains to living costs, which include the rent for university accommodation, expenses for food, clothing, transportation, and, of course, personal necessities. Overall, living expenses in Turkey are considered reasonable compared to those in other countries with universities of similar academic standards, making student employment in Turkey an ideal solution to alleviate the burden of living costs.
It is worth noting that the best solution to offset these costs is for the student to obtain a Turkish scholarship, which entitles them to receive a monthly stipend in addition to free education.
How Turkish Universities Prepare Students for the Workforce:
The Higher Education Presidency collaborates with various Turkish universities, both public and private, to provide practical training opportunities for students in different fields of study. These training opportunities aim to enhance students’ practical experience, thereby encouraging them to start working during their years of study.
Turkish universities launch these training projects in the summer, which consist of many well-equipped workshops focused on enhancing the students’ professional skills, in addition to providing trainees with a salary for their participation in these training programs.
A student who studies in Turkish universities, integrates into society, and masters the language will have significant opportunities for employment, including in Arab companies that now constitute a large percentage of businesses in Turkey.
It is noteworthy that the employment prospects for a student who graduates from a Turkish university are very high, especially in light of the boom in various sectors—whether in real estate, tourism, or industry, etc.—which leads to the creation of hundreds of job opportunities for international student graduates.
This concludes our article on working in Turkey for foreigners, which has covered the most important information relevant to every international student who wishes to work during their years of study in Turkey.