Finding work in the Netherlands

Do you want to work in the Netherlands? See the list below for suggestions as to how to find a job in the Netherlands.

  • Temporary and  recruitment agencies
  • The internet
  • Vacancies in newspapersNetwork sites
  • Open applications
  • Job fairs

Temporary and Recruitment agencies

A good step to enter the Dutch job market could be to make use of an Employment agency (Uitzendbureau) and Recruitmentagencies. You can find them in all Dutch towns. They offer temporary jobs, training programs and permanent jobs
. A temporary job via an Uitzendbureau gives you an entry into a company and could eventually even lead to a permanent job there. But also a temporary job is a good addition for your cv. Our best advise is to visit some uitzendbureaus personally to subscribe yourself and get acquinted to your contactperson personally. Then keep on visiting and phoning them weekly or even two-daily to inform for vacancies and to prove that you are motivated and serious. Stay polite and be open for their advise. At the end you will get through…

Recommended temporary agencies

www.manpower.nl

www.randstad.nl

www.tempoteam.nl

The internet

Many employers look for new candidates on the internet. The internet is, therefore, very useful when you are looking for work in the Netherlands. You will find a list of useful websites below.

In this link you’ll find a nice overwiew of most job websites in the Netherlands, – international jobsites – websites with internships.
Select your preferences in level of education, background/speciality, location and language etc and browse. The website also offers interesting information for expats/foreigners about working in Holland.

Some sites we recommend:

www.indeed.nl

www.vacaturebank.nl

Specialist vacancy sites

www.jouwictvacature.nl IT jobs

www.seasonalwork.nl agriculture and horticulture

www.agrojobs.nl agricultural sector

www.intermediair.nl specialised in higher education jobs

www.export.nl import/export, transport and the offshore industry

www.medweb.nl medical personnel

www.academictransfer.com  academics

www.cadjobs.nl technical artists

www.archined.nl architects

Network sites

Use your own network. Finding a job via personal contacts and social media is perfectly acceptable in the Netherlands. The social media site LinkedIn is often used for making contacts. As a commercial social network, it is very useful for presenting your CV and building up a network of contacts.

Ask your contacts if they want to work on this with you. They can then look for opportunities within their own networks.

Open applications

It is perfectly acceptable to send open applications in the Netherlands, even to a company that has no current vacancies. If the employer is looking for personnel in the future, this will give you an advantage over other jobseekers.

Use your cover letter to clearly indicate:

  • why you want to work for this company;
  • your particular talents, skills and work experience;
  • how your talents, skills and work experience could be useful to the employer;
  • why you are the most suitable candidate for the position;
  • why you can offer more than other candidates.

Any language experience or work experience gained in another EU country could be to your advantage.