Finding an internship in Austria
In Austria, you will usually find two different types of internships. One is voluntary, and the other form involves proper employment. Students mostly have to serve a certain amount of time as a trainee within an internship to receive their graduation certificate.
The labor market in Austria
Mostly it will be necessary to have really good knowledge of the German language if you are not seeking an internship at an international organization in Austria. The best options for summer internships in Austria are in the tourism industry, especially during the high seasons in winter and summer months.
If you are a non-resident in Austria but from another member state within the EU, the same labor laws and regulations as those for Austrian citizens are applicable. All third-country residents fall under the regulations of the so-called “Ausländerbeschäftigungsgesetz.”
But keep in mind that the regular labor and social legislation does not apply to volunteers, only if you have actual employment in Austria.
If you are planning on doing your internship in Austria, one thing you should calculate is enough time. It can take a while to fulfill all the requirements and have all your documents in order. The arrangements that have to be taken care of and all formalities that come with it can take up way more time than expected. Most of the time, the employer will take care of it, and you, as a trainee, will only have to sign the papers and provide all forms, documents or certifications that are needed to register at the relevant authority.
How to find an internship in Austria
There are plenty of helpful websites and organizations that can not only provide you with useful information but also directly put you in contact with possible internship hosts in Austria:
- AMS (Labour Market Service Austria)
- Go abroad
- Europe Internships
- karriere.at
- Kulturkonzepte
- Der Standard (Newspaper)
- Student Job
- Studenteninserate
These are just some of the possible ways to find an internship in Austria.
Keep track of relevant groups on Facebook and also LinkedIn and Xing. Nowadays, a lot of internships and jobs are also awarded via LinkedIn and XING in Austria. Companies can also take notice of you on these platforms.
You can apply for both English and German job advertisements. Larger companies, universities and international organizations often have job advertisements for internships in both languages. Knowing German offers more options, but it depends on the industry whether it is a must. Generally, email communication is in German, but in large international companies, it can be in English. If you are unsure whether your application and CV should be in German or English, just contact the company and ask which language your CV should be in.
Traveling to Austria as an intern
Whether you do need a visa or work permit in Austria or not depends on your country of origin. If you are resident in any other EU member state, you do not need another permit, however, if you're from a non-EU state, you will have to get one, and this can be very time-consuming and difficult.
One thing that is the same for everyone is the mandatory registration with the local authorities at the latest three days after your arrival for your internship in Austria.
Like in any other country, it depends on the employer if you will get paid or not. Usually, you can expect a salary of around 500 € minimum per month, though, and some might even pay for your rent and food.
If this is not the case, you can find plenty of options for cheap housing in Austria.
Make sure you will get a proper contract and that your employer is paying all the necessary taxes he should pay for you. Also, ask for a certification of completion and a letter of recommendation after you have finished the internship in Austria.
Otherwise, you won't have a proof for your next employer!
