Work as a seamstress in Poland

A Polish company engaged in sewing various types of products, including women’s and men’s clothing (pants, blouses, shorts, dresses, jackets, underwear, etc.), elements for clothing, as well as sewing various things such as car covers, car upholstery elements, parts of fabric used in agriculture and production, sewing upholstery and elements for furniture and other products invites seamstresses from different countries to work in Poland.

We accept all interested candidates with visas, a Pole’s Card and a permanent residence card. We offer an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a mandate contract (umowa zlecenia).

If you would like to learn more about work, payment and living conditions, please read the article to the end. There will be a lot of useful information for you.

So, the work of a seamstress in Poland is always on a so-called chord, that is, earnings depend on production. Even if they promise an hourly wage or a monthly rate, this is only to “lure” the employee.

That is, job advertisements indicate the average salary of all seamstresses at the company as a monthly salary. Sometimes, they divide this average salary by the average number of hours worked per month and “derive” the rate per hour.

For example, someone earned 2700 zlotys per month, someone 4300, and someone 3600. The average is 3533. So, this is the average salary. If 168 hours were worked in a month, then the ad will indicate PLN 21 net per hour.

The highest salary, let’s say, was 4300. In job ads, we will most likely see salaries ranging from 3530 to 4300. Yes, that’s what they write in job ads.

Does this mean that the employer or agency is not telling the truth? Yes and no. They write the truth, but it is someone else’s truth and it may not be yours. You can earn more or less.

Is a chord salary bad?

In the case of a seamstress, it’s good. If you are a good specialist, you have nothing to fear. You will be able to sew a large number of simple products or a small number of products with complex seams and elements without any problems and will receive a decent high salary for your skills.

Moreover, the employer will appreciate you, and this is a completely different level of trust, payment and your self-esteem – you will come to work satisfied and full of motivation.

Are there cases when a seamstress earns little in Poland?

In the case of qualified seamstresses with experience, almost never.

What kind of work is not profitable?

If the work is somewhere in the strawberry picking, it may not be profitable there because of the weather, lack of experience, and problems with physical labor. But we are not talking about this work, we are talking about the work of a seamstress in Poland. Everything is different here.

The advantages of working as a seamstress

• High earnings
• Work in the field you know well
• Working in your specialty is always better

Who won’t be able to work as a seamstress on a chord?

• Those who are used to doing only a certain number of tasks and sitting around and procrastinating the rest of the time

In many poor countries, as a rule, you need to work quickly, sew a lot of products, but receive a small fixed salary for this. In other words, the owner of the company makes super-profits and gets rich, and this is largely due to the high added value of the products and low wages.

But in Poland, the work of a seamstress is different from the work of a seamstress in many other countries. I mean the very system of motivation and work. Once again, if you have good experience, you have nothing to fear – you can do your favorite job and earn very good money, even by Polish standards.

Being a seamstress in Poland is prestigious

In Poland, blue-collar professions are valued. Carpenters, drivers, furniture upholsterers, welders, and seamstresses are some of the best-paid professions in the country on the Vistula.

Of course, if someone wants to be a doctor, teacher, accountant, or historian, it is worthy of respect. However, Poles are pragmatic, so they often choose to learn a profession that is in demand on the labor market, but at the same time they like it, i.e. “like it”. One of these professions is seamstress.

Does a seamstress in Poland need to be able to sew EVERYTHING?

Of course not. The employer takes into account your experience and may ask you a few questions about the essence of the work (even before you arrive).

At the workplace, none of you will be asked to sew at full speed and quantity right away. As with any job, you need time to get used to the specifics of sewing.

Do you pay per item or per operation?

Very often for the operation. Although there are also prices for the finished product. For example, a blouse costs 30 zlotys, shorts 25. These amounts are for example.

What is the best thing to do if you are in doubt about whether or not to go to Poland as a seamstress?

Realize that you have nothing to lose and it’s worth a try.

Talk to someone who already works there. But this is not always a good option. Sometimes foreign seamstresses are afraid that if a lot of new people come to work, there may not be enough work. So they say that the work is hard and the pay is low. But this rarely happens, mostly in small businesses, and it is rather an exception. As a rule, seamstresses in Poland tell the truth, and you decide for yourself whether working in this country is right for you.

Alternatively, you can go to work where someone you know already works as a seamstress.

Another option is to go with a friend who is also a seamstress. For example, with a friend from work.

In general, if you want to try it, stop doubting. If you have doubts, don’t try it. You need to choose one of these options.

What kind of machines are used in Poland?

Overlock, overlocker, renderer, hole punch… etc. It all depends on the specifics. Therefore, you should choose according to your experience.

A driver can also be a first-class driver of a car, but he won’t drive a truck or a bus. It’s the same with seamstresses – what you’ve worked at, you’re better at, and learning something new will take time and, above all, desire.

What is the best way to look for a job as a seamstress in Poland?

First, make a list of your experience. The more complete it is, the better. The employer does not know you and therefore gets to know you in absentia. Write to the point, don’t make up anything, don’t add any experience you don’t have. That is, only the truth.

Start with years of experience. You can add the school you graduated from. Write how many years and at which companies you worked.

What kind of products you sewed. What kind of machines you used, do you sew or know how to sew.

If you are still working as a seamstress in your home country but are thinking about working in Poland, start taking photos of the products you sew right now. Or better yet, have one of your colleagues take a video of you sewing, i.e. the process of your work. Believe me, this will help you a lot in the process of finding a decent job as a seamstress in Poland with high pay.

Videos and photos can be added to the description of your experience and in the eyes of the employer it will be a HUGE plus compared to other candidates. Sometimes when looking for a job, it is worth using non-standard methods to express yourself. A resume on a piece of paper is yesterday’s news. Today, a video of your work is relevant.

What else do you need to know about working as a seamstress in Poland?

Before you start working, the employer issues you an invitation. Then you come to work on a visa-free basis. Or, based on this invitation, you open a visa and then go to work.

Also, for any job, you need to undergo a medical examination, including for work as a seamstress. It’s just a formality, and if there are no serious health problems, it takes half a day, including waiting in line. The employer helps with the medical examination and other formalities, so it’s quite simple.

Housing

Almost all employers provide housing for seamstresses. As a rule, it is located near the workplace or you can take a car to work. If the job is in a big city, then you can get there by public transport. Seamstresses live in a room with several women. Over time, most of them rent separate rooms or live with their families, renting a separate apartment.