A Minijob earns you up to 603 euros a month in 2026, with no social-security contributions taken off your pay. That sounds simple, and this is exactly where many people underestimate the application. They fire off two lines by message, or hand in nothing in writing at all, and then wonder why they get rejected.
The truth is that first impressions count even for a Minijob. A clean application signals the very thing employers look for in part-time help: reliability and motivation. The good news is that you need neither a cover sheet nor a page-long letter to get there. In this guide you will walk through your entire Minijob application step by step, with concrete before-and-after examples and a template you can adapt right away.
What Is a Minijob and What Are the Requirements?
Before you apply, it pays to look at the ground rules. A Minijob follows clear legal limits, and those changed at the start of 2026.
Definition and the Current Earnings Limit
A Minijob, officially a marginal employment relationship, is a job in which your regular income does not exceed a fixed threshold. Since 1 January 2026, that earnings limit has been 603 euros a month, or 7,236 euros a year. The limit is tied to the statutory minimum wage, which rose at the same time to 13.90 euros per hour. When the minimum wage rises, the Minijob limit rises automatically.
One thing to plan around: special payments such as holiday or Christmas bonuses count fully toward your earnings. You may only exceed the limit in exceptional cases, for example covering a sick colleague, and for no more than two months a year up to twice the monthly value.
Minijobs are no niche in Germany. The Minijob-Zentrale recently had around 6.8 million Minijobbers on its books, the majority in the commercial sector and a smaller share in private households. Students, pupils, people working part time, and those between two jobs especially use this flexible form to earn a little extra.
Typical Minijob Sectors
Most Minijobs cluster in a few industries, and that helps your search. According to the Minijob-Zentrale, the largest share sits in retail, including the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, followed by the hotel and catering trade. In retail the work is often the till, restocking, or inventory; in catering it is service, the bar, or the kitchen.
Beyond that, private households look directly for cleaners, babysitters, or dog sitters, often through specialised matching platforms. The care and support sector also creates Minijobs, for example in everyday assistance or non-nursing care. If you already know which of these directions you want, you can tailor your application to it rather than blasting one generic letter to everyone.
Do You Even Need an Application for a Minijob?
Short answer: in almost every case, yes. There are situations, though, where an in-person conversation replaces the written application.
When a Written Application Is a Must
As soon as an employer posts a job ad and asks for documents, you need a proper application. Employers want to see before the interview that you are reliable and meet the key requirements. For a Minijob, a so-called short application made up of a cover letter and a CV is enough. You leave out a cover sheet and bulky attachments such as references and only submit them if the employer explicitly asks.
When a Personal Conversation Is Enough
For local roles, especially in catering, retail, or private households, a short visit in person is often the faster route. If you know exactly which cafe or shop you want to work in, you can bring a printed short CV and introduce yourself directly. Even then, a prepared CV in your bag looks far more professional than a spontaneous chat with no document at all.
If you want to put together your CV and cover letter in just a few minutes, you can use the CareerKit resume builder and simply print the finished file or save it as a PDF.
Your Minijob Application in Five Steps
The whole application breaks down into five manageable steps. This section gives you the overview; the two chapters that follow then go deep on the cover letter and the CV.
Step 1: Analyse the Job Ad
Read the ad closely and separate the must-have criteria from the nice-to-haves. Must-haves show up in hard phrasing such as "requirement is" or "you bring with you." Nice-to-haves sound softer, for example "ideally" or "an advantage." A proven rule of thumb from Indeed's application advice is this: if you meet most of the must-haves and a good portion of the nice-to-haves, the application is worth it. Also check which application route is wanted, whether email, an online form, or in person.
Step 2: Gather Your Documents
For a Minijob, the short application of cover letter and CV is enough. Your most recent school report or a relevant reference from an earlier part-time job is usually plenty. Certificates such as a first-aid course or a driving licence belong in only if the job genuinely needs them, for instance a delivery role.
Step 3: Write the Cover Letter
Your cover letter fits on one A4 page and follows the structure of letterhead, opening, main body, and closing. In the opening you explain briefly why this particular job appeals to you. In the main body you back up your suitability with concrete examples. The next chapter shows you exactly how that looks.
Step 4: Build the CV
Your CV is in table form, no more than one page, and sorted in reverse chronological order, the most recent first. For each entry you give three to six bullet points on your tasks. Detailed examples for this follow shortly too.
Step 5: Send the Application
For an email application you combine the cover letter, CV, and any attachments into a single PDF file and write a short, friendly covering note that points to the attachment. Keep the file small and name it clearly, for example "Application_Minijob_Surname.pdf." For local roles you can also hand the folder in personally; for postal applications, use a plain folder and enough postage.
The Cover Letter for Your Minijob
The cover letter is the first page the employer sees, and it often decides whether your CV gets read at all. For a Minijob it may be shorter than for a full-time role, but it should still meet the formal standards of a business letter as set out in the Federal Employment Agency template.
The Right Structure
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