scot47

..........................but they still want to go and live in the Netherlands ?
I am continually amazed at the numbers who think that they can make a go a new country when they have no marketable skills and zero knowledge of the local languages and culture. It applies to the Netherlands and lots of other places.

Zahida88

chill out Scotty, instead of being negative, how about giving them the right advice. I mean that's what this forum is for right??

dmu

I'm sure that Scot47 will answer for himself, but I think that he was hinting at the hopelessness of finding any job in any foreign country without marketable skills and knowledge of the local language.
I think his unspoken advice would be to acquire marketable qualifications and learn the language before arrival, in order to cope with the bureaucracy and the nitty-gritty of day-to-day life and not depend on the natives' knowledge of English to get by. Retirees can get away with this, to a point, but not those who need to work.
This is certainly applicable in France, with its high unemployment rate and stiff competition from English-speaking French candidates for any job going, and most potential expats who haven't got a job lined up take this advice on board.

scot47

I am so chilled that ice cubes are warmer than me !
I echo what the above poster, dmu, says.
Read some of the posters here and marvel at the naivete of some of our fellow-Brits.

Give the right advice ? Sometimes that could be - DO NOT COME.

Red_Wine_Fairy

Gone are the days when you can survive in Europe on English skills and nothing else. Their own graduates speak at least 2 fluently.
Gone are the days when you'd be considered for no-skilled jobs.
The agencies have this all sown up with cheap imported labour.

If you're a Brit, you need something pretty special. IT (mid or senior level). Engineering. Pharma. Otherwise you'll be just another small and weak fish in a very, very large and teeming pool full of people who can no longer practice their old profession without total fluency in the local languag.

So if you want a career here, even if it's a step backwards, start learning the language because it's going to take a while to even understand enough for casual conversation.

Even better, the gold plated advice. Do Not Move before you have a job offer, and have a Plan B in the form of tickets back to Blighty. I've seen many people go home completely and utterly broke - this is reality of the non-skilled workforce.

liveaboard

Or bring your own capital and start your own business.
Then you can hire people with whatever language and other skills are required.

scot47

Alas, many of the young hopefuls have no capital and a very small grubstake.

Pulaski

But unless you're running an on-line business remotely, you still need to speak the local language to market your business, sell your products or services, and communicate with your customers.

Casa Santo Estevo

Maybe "Scotty" was pointing the finger at you as one of the members with such a question. http://britishexpats.com/forum/nethe...ngland-849965/ I would agree with his sentiments no matter who posts the question. It is not negative it is being realistic.

scot47

Realism is not what some posters expect. They want spin, fantasy and lies. They have become used to that from the Media.

old wanderer

No Dutch means you would have to have skills for the job market where English is the main language used e.g. offshore engineering. No skills means simple jobs e.g. filling the shelves in a supermarket and that will not provide a living wage. As Scot47 says there are lots of dreamers with little idea of real life.

scot47

Wisdom comes with age. Sometimes.

Casa Santo Estevo

Scot I wanted to given you a lot of Karma points for these posts, by the forum will not let me. Sorry but you can only have one for now.

scot47

Cool. Better than ice cubes !

Cynic

Many people believe this. Like you, I'm amazed that some people (refugees excepted) think they can turn up with nothing, but hope for everything.

Personally, I don't like surprises, I wouldn't do it. If people want to increase their odds of success, then they need to bring something to the table.