The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Side jobs that are worthwhile: Matthias Marquardt delivers packages while studying

2022-09-26T08:05:13.547Z


Computer science student Matthias Marquardt delivers packages alongside his studies – and earns good money doing it. Here he tells what he does when neighbors grumble. And how athletic he really has to be.


Enlarge image

Delivery agent Marquardt: "Pretty well compatible with the study"

Photo: Private

As a delivery driver you need a driver's license, so you can start without any prior knowledge.

That's how Markus Marquardt did it: The 22-year-old is in his sixth semester studying computer science at the University of Hamburg and has been working as a parcel deliverer at Deutsche Post for four years.

Here Marquardt talks about how much he earns, what he particularly likes about his job and what he learns on his tours for later professional life.

The decision for the job

»After graduating from high school, I looked for a bridging job and started at DHL as a Christmas helper.

Then I decided to study computer science - and kept my part-time job as a parcel deliverer.

It is quite compatible with your studies.

I can decide how many days I want to work.

I usually drive one day a week, and during the semester breaks I sometimes work for a few weeks at a time.

I also get 14.34 euros an hour – a good wage for a student job.«

What you have to be able to do for the job

»As a delivery driver, I travel to different delivery districts in Norderstedt, a city in the north of Hamburg.

In which district I deliver depends on where the regular deliverer I represent is missing.

Sometimes I also work as a reliever, then I help other deliverers on their rounds and take over a few packages.

I get to many places for the first time, fortunately we have good navigation systems.

On a normal working day I start the first shift at eight o'clock and am on the road for around eight hours.

Before I set off, my delivery base tells me how many packages I'm taking with me.

Sometimes there are 80, sometimes over 200, around Christmas time.

But the number does not always say anything about how strenuous the tour will be: With companies or large apartment buildings, I get rid of several packages at one stop, with single-family houses it is more effort.

I'm not allowed to work more than eight hours a day - it's very rare that I take parcels back to the delivery base because of this.

As a deliverer you should be able to drive a car, after all there are many narrow driveways and alleys.

Also important: being physically fit.

I often have to deliver to upper floors and there are no elevators.

It's exhausting, but after a day's work I still manage to go to the gym.

It often happens that recipients of parcels are not at home.

Some have given permission to leave it, or I ask the neighbors whether they will accept the package.

That's why a lot of people grumble.

Customers don't have to wait any longer for their parcel.

It's also better for me as a deliverer, otherwise I would have to take it to the branch to be picked up.

When people complain to me because they are waiting for a package, I have to be friendly and reassure them.

I almost always succeed.

If you drive the same routes more often, you know the people, I like that.

Last year, around Christmas, a customer gave me chocolate.”

What the job brings for your studies and later career

»During my computer science studies, I spend a lot of time in front of the PC and deal with data structures, algorithms and programming languages.

It has little to do with my part-time job.

But there I learn a lot that I can certainly use later, such as how to calm customers down or how to work with colleagues.

I also have to deliver the packages on time and scan them correctly.

That's a lot of responsibility, because people often urgently await their orders.

We rarely drive in pairs, but in the morning we all load our vehicles together or split up a tour.

Good communication is also important here.

We are a very international team here in Norderstedt.

Also on my tour I meet people with different backgrounds.

I like it and I've even made some new friends through my part-time job.«

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-09-26

You may like

News/Politics 2024-03-15T12:55:59.446Z
News/Politics 2024-02-01T05:09:44.504Z
News/Politics 2024-02-13T16:29:33.308Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.