Go Netherlands! The Dutch are known for their straight talking

  • Career Center
  • Le 13 mai 2022

Audencia's Career Center and Alumni teams are delighted to to bring you “Go Netherlands!”, the guide to working in the Netherlands.

Following the success of the guide to working in France for internationals, this new edition focuses on a country that is a destination of choice for Audencians. Members of its thriving community of students and alumni say they choose the Netherlands for its economic stability, work-hard-play-hard lifestyle, multiculturalism and for being a country where English is often the working language.

“Go Netherlands!” is a valuable resource for students considering a career in the Netherlands after their studies. Starting with HR professionals’ top tips and debunking the myths and realities of the workplace, Go Netherlands! also showcases the experiences of more than 20 alumni who have aced the challenge of finding a job and settling in the Netherlands.


This week, discover what Louis Blaise from France has to say.

About Louis:

  • Graduated from the Grande Ecole Master in Management programme in 2014
  • Currently working as: an International Revenue Manager at Britvic Teisseire International in Amsterdam
  • Native language: French
  • Other languages spoken: English, Italian, German
  • Level of Dutch: beginner
  • Been living in the Netherlands since September 2018


Louis' key message: “The Dutch are known for their straight talking; if they don't like something, they will say so immediately."


My biggest challenge
Companies in Amsterdam are very international; in my previous team of 25, there was only one Dutch person. My biggest challenge is a result of this: I’m finding it hard to learn Dutch and even when I talk to a Dutch colleague at work, it's always in English!

My advice & top tips

  • LinkedIn is clearly the best website for job opportunities. It’s also a good idea to contact past employees; almost all companies offer a referral system.
  • If you target big companies, you will find that many offer a graduate programme scheme.
  • Unemployment is dramatically low here and compared to other European capitals, there are lots of jobs where you don’t need to speak Dutch. Even so, not speaking Dutch clearly puts you at a disadvantage as it limits the number of jobs you can apply for.


Quirky & cultural
Be prepared to eat cold snacks at work... your lunch break will be relatively short and you’ll often only have time for a quick sandwich. Also, don't be too surprised if you see your Dutch colleague eating soup at 4pm!

And finally
Sporting activities come high on the list of favourite Dutch pastimes. There is so much to do here, from cycling round the city to swimming in the canals in summer!




 
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