How to prepare a Resume to Work in The Netherlands

This is a short guide to help you. How to prepare a resume to work in The Netherlands.

The key focus of your Netherlands Resume / CV should be to persuade the employer to invite you for an interview. Therefore, your Netherlands Resume / CV is a marketing tool, which should be adapted to the market in which you intend to use it.

A Netherlands Resume / CV uses a direct factual style and is written in reversed chronological order on (preferably) one page maximum.

Include personal details, education, work experience and leisure activities.

It is customary in the Netherlands to telephone in advance before submitting your Netherlands Resume / CV. Speculative applications are very common.

Work permits in the Netherlands

· EEA citizens are free to move and work wherever they want to, within the EEA (including the Netherlands).
· You must apply for a residence permit. This is valid for five years and should be issued within six months of your arrival.
· Contact the Netherlands embassy in your home country for more information.

The application procedure in the Netherlands

· Expect questions about your motivation, your character, strengths and weaknesses, your education and the company
itself.
· Take copies of your CV, diplomas and employer testimonials to an interview.
· At the end of the interview in the Netherlands it is common to ask some questions yourself.

The application letter in the Netherlands

· The style should be short, direct and professional.
· Start with the reason for applying, followed by an explanation why you consider yourself the right candidate for the job.
· It is not necessary to include copies of official documents, unless specifically asked for.

Dos · Look interested – ask questions.
· Ask for clarification if you don’t understand the question.
· Be able to provide examples to prove your achievements.
· Ask questions at the end of the interview in the Netherlands.
· Phone in advance of a speculative application.

Don’ts · Sit until invited in a Dutch application interview.
· Criticise former employers.
· Be unmotivated for the job and/or organisation.
· Go over the top – stay calm and stick to the facts.
· Be offended by the typical Dutch directness – it is not meant to be impolite!

Management culture in the Netherlands

· Dutch business is characterised by horizontal organisational structure.
· Dutch companies follow usually step-by-step plans.
· Meetings are informal and have the goal to reach consensus with every party involved. As a consequence meetings tend to be long and they are held quite often.
· Decisions are taken after all options have been discussed - the decision-making process is rather time consuming.
· On the other hand, ‘Time is money’ in the Netherlands.