Many international companies have offices in the Netherlands and some of them
are even headquartered here. Some prime examples of international Dutch companies
include Royal Dutch Shell, Philips, DSM, the FMCG giant Unilever and ABN AMRO.
Still, if you do not speak Dutch and are not familiar with the Dutch labour
market it might be difficult to find a job in the Netherlands. One of the best
ways to find a job in the Netherlands is to go to a recruitment agency. Almost 20% of Dutch employees have (at one time) worked via
a recruitment agency as a temp, and since many agencies can also find
you permanent contracts with a company, even more employees find work via a
recruitment agency. And here's the good news. Recruitment
agencies are free of charge to candidates registering.
Below are some resources that will help you in your job hunt for the Netherlands.
You can also consult the temping agencies:
- Randstad Netherlands:
Temping agency in order to find a job online. Large offer in Belgium, student
jobs and temping. CV examples available.
- Adecco Netherlands:
Temping.
- Manpower Netherlands
: Specialising in permanent, temporary and contract positions.
- Kelly
Services Netherlands: staffing solutions that include temporary staffing,
outsourcing, staff leasing and full time positions.
CV, cover letter and interview
Write a Dutch CV in the third person singular. Tape it in chronological order
on one, maximum two pages in a direct factual style, which only gives the facts
and figures.
Your Dutch CV should aim to persuade recruiters to call you for a job interview.
Therefore, keep it brief yet give the reader a hook, a reason to call you for
that interview. Your covering letter should not be more than 3-4 paragraphs.
Online job applications are quite common in the Netherlands. However, you should
be aware that an electronic CV does not look the same as a
standard one. CVs are often scanned by employers, so make your CV is scannable by avoiding lines
or italic fonts etc.
During the interview, you will have to describe and explain your experience
noted in your CV. Avoid talking about the salary at the first interviews and
wait for the company to offer you the position before you raise the subject.