The job market is unpredictable at the moment, due to two wars ongoing and the uncertainty about how much AI will remove or replace human employment. Add to that being a non-Dutch person, struggling to reach the required level to say that you are competent in Dutch and you’re facing quite a challenge.
Niche is nice
It’s not all gloom and doom for expats though. If you have technical knowledge and specialist skills that are needed, it will be easier to get a job. A few years ago I attended a meeting of, mainly international companies discussing recruitment opportunities for the MSc students graduating from the water Institute where I worked. The consensus was that if the person had the necessary technical skills, while it was preferable that they could talk to their colleagues in Dutch, it wasn’t strictly required. They also acknowledged the fact that the students’ knowledge of their country could be of benefit to the company if the company was active there or planning to be in the future.
It is of course a question of supply and demand and the more specialised or niche your skills, the less onerous the Dutch language requirement will be, unless you have to deal directly with customers or suppliers. For many areas of work however, including counselling, marketing, administrative roles, even IT, I have met expats who are finding it hard to compete with native Dutch speakers. The problem is, when a job is advertised where English is the working language, the number of applicants applying multiplies to the point that the employer can use fluency in Dutch to filter out a large number of applicants.
Spreek jij het nederlands?
So how do you meet this challenge? Number one piece of advice is to improve your Dutch as quickly as possible. If you can afford to attend an intensive course, do so and keep practising afterwards, with more classes or the Taalcafe (language cafe, often based in a library, sometimes a cafe, where those learning Dutch can meet and practise speaking), which exists in most Dutch towns and cities.
Someone I met recently at a networking event (more about that later) specialises in recruiting ‘senior talent’ and she writes extensively in her LinkedIn posts about this. She says many companies send out mixed messages, stating the working language is English but asking for a native Dutch speaker! Why? Is it simply a way for HR to speed up their filtering of applicants? If fluent Dutch is needed for example to speak to customers, then then the recruiter should state it and write the advertisement in Dutch. She is lobbying for Dutch employers to be clearer and not waste applicants’ time.
Networking works
More about networking! I am delighted to see that in-person networking is growing again after Covid. I was an early participant in the women-only networks in Scotland in the nineties. I even helped set up the Scottish branch of Women in Property which is still thriving and was/is much needed in such a male dominated industry. I also enjoyed attending the mixed networking groups run by the Chamber of Commerce and other business organisations. The benefits of being involved in one or two of these are many: over time you build a network of individuals in multiple fields and companies who you can call on for information, advice and perhaps specialised knowledge; socially it feels good to meet like-minded people or at least who are working in the same business environment as yourself; in respect of job hunting, you may hear about a job before it is advertised which can be advantageous. Of course you will have to go through the normal application procedure but sometimes your contact in the organisation will mention to the recruiter that they know you and that you are applying, which can make you stand out.
.... and can be fun!
I should also mention that networking can be fun. I recently attended an event called Female Ventures, in Delft where I live. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially as the first part of the evening was ‘speed dating’, of which I’m not a fan, especially of the name! It was so enjoyable. The ‘rules’ forbad any mention of work or your job title but rather you could ask questions like ‘what are you curious about at the moment?’, ‘what is your favourite type of book to read?’, ‘what was the last thing that made your laugh out loud?’ In other words they were encouraging participants to get to know the real person and not the job title, by asking questions and being curious about them.
Use your own network. Apparently on average we have 250 contacts, so use them. Make known to your friends, discreetly, what you are looking for. Arrange coffee dates with some friends working in sectors or organisations which interest you, to find out more about their workplace and whether the work would likely be of interest to you.
Buddy up
Buddies are great! Whether you have a language buddy or a job-hunting buddy, they can help you progress and keep you motivated. For the former, in the Netherlands there are many organisations which can match you with a volunteer taalmaatje – language mate or buddy, online or face-to-face. You might be able to meet a job-hunting buddy through networking . When I lived in Australia I met someone who was also job hunting so we met once a week for coffee (and in between, passed on any opportunities we thought might be of interest to each other) and talked through what we were looking for or thinking of applying for. Not surprisingly, she observed certain strengths or skills which I had not thought about or considered important and I did the same for her. It is easier to do that objectively for someone else than for yourself.
Running up that hill
Job hunting can be disheartening, especially if you have the added hurdle of not being a native speaker. Learning the language, finding a buddy and focusing on jobs where you have a realistic chance with your skills and experience will all help. Networking broadens your circle and may give you access to jobs and people, which can give you the personal edge. It’s a numbers game - even when you feel like giving up, keep on going - the more you apply to, the greater the chance of success. And finally, don’t be put off by the Dutch language requirement, unless it’s needed for the actual work and keep on pushing that boulder up the hill!
Resources:
Read some of Elena Sudakova’s LI posts about obstacles expats face and the advice she gives. She is a partner in Together Matters which offers programmes to help expats and others find new jobs.
Ana Denis (also met at the networking event) interviewed 100 women about their expat job hunting/work experience and wrote a book: Reinvento: Expat’s Guide to Reinventing your Career and Identity, for sale on Amazon.
