Moved to holland. HELP!!!
#61
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
HHHEEYYYY I'm here for a short period of time but wanna go out n partyyy
#62
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2014
Location: Spain
Posts: 3
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
Hey, should be being offered and job and moving to Amsterdam at the end of February. I don't know anyone, so would like to get together with a few guys and girls and make some friends when I get there. Whoever fancies meeting up in a coffee shop at some point, give me a shout
#63
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Noord Brabant
Posts: 287
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
If both of you moved here without a job, you should have read the warnings before you lived the dream This is a small xenophobic country, much like the UK: no degree = only fit for nonskilled jobs (and even then, you should speak the national language, hoor!) I'd be rich if I had a euro for the number of jobless I've seen return 'home' broke, after the dream died.
I agree perseverance is the key, but unless you're lucky you might run out of money in a relatively short time.
There's not much work for the Dutch either: most jobs here in the South are 12-25 hours a week, you're lucky if you get 12-13 euros an hour.
The best bet is to apply to British companies or agencies run by foreigners.
#64
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Zwolle, Netherlands
Posts: 124
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
congratulations. That was also my success, after 8 months of looking I found a job at a company with an international department where we use English. Since getting this job my dutch significantly improved after being immersed in it with the other departments.
Good luck!
Good luck!
#65
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Jirnsum, Friesland, Netherlands
Posts: 99
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
thats our challenge too, my fiancee and I always say we should always speak more dutch, but it doesn't happen!
#66
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Zwolle, Netherlands
Posts: 124
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
But the job also offers a budget to be spent on materials for work which can include lessons or books...... had my eye on Klare Taal for a while but could never afford it!
#67
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Noord Brabant
Posts: 287
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
Quite frankly speaking Dutch or not makes little difference if you come form another country. I am now speaking colloquial Dutch and had a few interviews (in Dutch) but this doesn't seem to be enough for Dutch recruiters. They seem to move the goal post all the time. Now they ask me to be fluent in English, Dutch, German and French and ideally also Spanish. Considering I'm Italian I am supposed to speak 6 languages? WTF?
And this for lousy 1700 a month customer service jobs?
(Sorry, I'm being a bit negative here).
And this for lousy 1700 a month customer service jobs?
(Sorry, I'm being a bit negative here).
#68
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
Gioppino. This might not help, but you are underselling yourself. Your skill is needed here. My man has also been through what you went through - he went to interview full of Dutch w*nkers who loved to tell him that he'd never get a job here because he didn't speak Dutch. Yet he proved them wrong. Twice.
It doesn't help you, but apply within your field. Get on LinkedIn, and join/take part in sys admin groups. It HELPS. Degrees aren't everything here, unless it's a Dutch-only IT company (these are suffering most in the recession - I wonder why).
To survive the job market here, you really need to believe in yourself, and develop a FK-U attitude to the one or two who will invite you just to say after 3 minutes 'You're not what we're looking for'. Sys Admin places to avoid for expats include KPN (and sister companies), BOL, Ahold, Gov't agencies (due to security) and start ups. Go for the true multinationals - Oil and Energy companies, Philips, Pharmaceuticals: send speculative letters to these even.
Get your CV checked over, or visit something like monsterboard for tips on a Dutch-standard CV format. It might take you a while but you WILL find something if you stay true to your skills.
It doesn't help you, but apply within your field. Get on LinkedIn, and join/take part in sys admin groups. It HELPS. Degrees aren't everything here, unless it's a Dutch-only IT company (these are suffering most in the recession - I wonder why).
To survive the job market here, you really need to believe in yourself, and develop a FK-U attitude to the one or two who will invite you just to say after 3 minutes 'You're not what we're looking for'. Sys Admin places to avoid for expats include KPN (and sister companies), BOL, Ahold, Gov't agencies (due to security) and start ups. Go for the true multinationals - Oil and Energy companies, Philips, Pharmaceuticals: send speculative letters to these even.
Get your CV checked over, or visit something like monsterboard for tips on a Dutch-standard CV format. It might take you a while but you WILL find something if you stay true to your skills.
#69
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Noord Brabant
Posts: 287
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
Gioppino. This might not help, but you are underselling yourself. Your skill is needed here. My man has also been through what you went through - he went to interview full of Dutch w*nkers who loved to tell him that he'd never get a job here because he didn't speak Dutch. Yet he proved them wrong. Twice.
1) Age: Many vacancies are for young students only. I can't believe how this is tolerated actually.
2) Lack of academic titles: all office vacancies require at least a Bachelor Degree. That means no office/IT/Customer service work for me.
3) Gender: I've been told in many occasions that women were preferred for warehouse/orderpicking work "because they have smaller hands". I am a man and I actually have small hands, but this is another example of narrow mindedness.
And from another thread.
I am seriously thinking I am wasting my time here.
#70
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
I can't tell you how many sys admin jobs there are. My man is also above 40 (late 30s when we moved here). It isn't nice, but they are indeed prejudiced - this is why you have to take another approach, via linked in and the IT agencies, rather than going for the lower jobs (you worked to hard to go to warehouse).
I hope that you took me serious about LinkedIn. Please do this - there are plenty of sys. admin groups to join (even if you just ask questions, HR people/agents will learn you are on the ground here and searching): this is a top way of networking! Another tip is to invest some euros into a subscription for a something like Freelancer.nl: you can pick up some contracts (6 or 12 months) from sites like this (my husband got one). If money is an issue - and this also works! - use www.jobserve.uk: you will be represented by a UK agent for sys.admin roles here. Or... if they have an urgent role in the UK - would it be an issue if you are disillusioned here? I don't know, that's for you to decide, but get the offer first!
Please don't be scared to call these people up - chase them and they remember you: wait for them to contact you and you will be forgotten.
#71
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2014
Location: Hoofddorp
Posts: 3
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
I moved over to Hoofddorp from London just over two weeks ago. My Dutch is coming along very slowly but as I also speak Danish it is a bit easier with the reading and spelling. I would like to attend a Dutch course in the area so any suggestions would be much appreciated. Cheers.
#72
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Zwolle, Netherlands
Posts: 124
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
Welcome! I go to Taal Cafe here in Zwolle every Friday. Its held in the library so I am not sure if your local library offers something similar to that?
#73
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2014
Location: Hoofddorp
Posts: 3
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
Thanks. I will have a butchers at that. Loving the country so far and people seem very understanding about my lack of the lingo. I think I am going to like it here.
#74
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Zwolle, Netherlands
Posts: 124
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
Yeah, sometimes they can be understanding and othertimes they are very eager to help you out...... its either a good thing or frustrating! Sometimes I get people speaking English back to me so I just reply in Dutch, lol!!
#75
Re: Moved to holland. HELP!!!
I moved over to Hoofddorp from London just over two weeks ago. My Dutch is coming along very slowly but as I also speak Danish it is a bit easier with the reading and spelling. I would like to attend a Dutch course in the area so any suggestions would be much appreciated. Cheers.
http://www.rocva.nl/educatie/taalond...s/default.aspx