International Students in the EU: A Playbook for Finding Your Next Job in The Netherlands

Here is the final blog in our three-part series tailored to help Non-EU students in their job search in the EU. We started off by identifying the visa and work permit procedures and some insider notes from akiTalent on How to land a job in France and Germany. In this blog, we will look at the visa, work permit rules, and some handy job search tips for international students in the Netherlands.

Over the last decade, the number of international students studying in the Netherlands has been increasing steadily with a considerable number of Non-EU students in the mix. Although there is an advantage if one speaks Dutch, the Netherlands offers a wide range of English-speaking jobs.

PART 3: THE NETHERLANDS

Internships in The Netherlands

In the Netherlands just like in France, you need to be a current student in order to be eligible for an internship. Non-EU students are allowed to have a side job with their studies up to a maximum of 16 hours per week.

If you are a Non-EU citizen living in the Netherlands on a Study residence permit while studying at a Dutch university, it is important to know the rules for whether or not you are allowed to work while studying. Some of the following information is excerpted from the IND(Immigration and Naturalisation Service)website. On the back of your residence permit, it says in Dutch Tewerkstellingsvergunning (TWV) which means you may get a paid employment if your employer has obtained the TWV permit for you.

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According to the Dutch Law, you would not be required to possess a work permit:

1. If you are a student from a Non-EU country with a valid Dutch Study Residence Permit, no work permit is required but a standard work agreement signed by you, your university, and the company offering the internship are mandatory.
2. If the internship is shorter than 90 days and a part of the Erasmus+ program, a Short Stay Visa (Visum Kort Verblijf or VKV) is required
3. If the internship is longer than 90 days and a part of the Erasmus+ program. However, you would also require a residence permit.
4. If the internship is longer than 90 days and if you possess an arbeid vrij toegestaan or free to work residence permit.

You would require a work permit if the internship is shorter than 90 days and not a part of the Erasmus+ program.

Staying in the Netherlands after Graduation and Finding a Job

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A large number of students who come to study in the Netherlands, stay back for work. With a post-study work visa, upon graduation, graduates can look for employment for up to one year. There are two main paths a recent graduate from a Dutch university can follow when it comes to finding a job in the region. Those are as follows:

1. For Non-EU graduates, the Dutch government has introduced the Orientation Year Residence Permit to retain international talents in the Dutch Labour market. Check your eligibility here. The orientation year permit for which you need to apply before the end of the studies is also known as Zoekjaar or search year. Zoekjaar also gives access to your partner or spouse to the Dutch labor market. Before the end of these 12 months, an application for work as a highly-skilled migrant should be submitted. After your search year ends, your employer then needs to apply for a work permit at IND on your behalf.
2. The highly skilled migrant scheme is meant to permit the Dutch employers to bring talented foreign professionals to the Netherlands and retain them. This means that employers within the Netherlands can organize Dutch work permits quickly for highly skilled international employees, without having to prove that there are no suitable Dutch or EU candidates. Only recognized organizations are able to submit applications on behalf of a highly skilled migrant. That means the organization has to be recognized by the IND as a sponsor.

There are three other resident permits that are also relevant for graduates and researchers. Those are start-up scheme residence permit, scientific researcher residence permit, and the orientation residence permit as explained earlier. There is also a provision for Non-EU nationals to apply for an EU Blue Card through Dutch immigration just the same way as we discussed in the case of Germany’s policies for EU Blue Card.

Practical Job Search Tips and Advice for Non-EU Students in the Netherlands

Many international companies in the Netherlands are open to English speakers and some companies even ask for a French or German speaker instead. Good for you, we at akiTalent are determined to set you up for success in your job search in the EU, especially if you are targeting purely English-speaking jobs in the region. Having said that, learning Dutch would definitely open up more opportunities and make your daily lives better, just like learning French in the case of France and German in the case of Germany.

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• Dutch employers appreciate a concise and clear CV, usually not more than 2 pages. A picture can be used, however, it’s not necessary as in the case of CV made for French companies, Part 1 of our three-part blog series. You can also boast a little bit about your accomplishments as compared to some other countries where you’d rather remain modest. To get started with your Dutch CV, reach out to us for a one-on-one consultation at www.akitalent.com
• A candidate’s motivation is one of the top reasons for a job offer in the Netherlands. Hence, while you keep the position, description, and figures on your Dutch CV, your Dutch Cover Letter must explain how you found out about the job, your motivation and goals, and what skill sets and experience you bring to the table that makes you the right person for the job requisition. Considering Dutch standards, it should still be precise.
• It’s important to find out about your target company’s primary language of communication and accordingly choose to make your application in Dutch or English. It’s usually apparent through the job description and website.
• As a general rule of thumb, when applying for jobs in the Netherlands, research your interviewer and take copies of your resume, educational certificates, and references. Dutch respect honesty and fairness. So, if you don’t know the answer, they’d rather you say so instead of faking it.
• It’s important to understand the Dutch communication style. Oftentimes when you think the interviewer has finished with their sentence it’s likely that they haven’t. So, it's always a good idea to take small pauses before you respond, while they speak, in order to avoid any unpleasant interruptions.

Hierarchies at the workplace are often flat in the Netherlands. Dutch people respect punctuality so a lack of time management can be considered an unreliable trait. It’s important to maintain eye-contact in both social and business settings alike. It’s a sign of trustworthiness. Unless you are very close, it’s better to avoid the Dutch kiss (right, left, right) for a business greeting. When preparing to enter the Dutch labor market, it’s important to know these subtle cultural differences and be prepared for a direct, no fluff culture to best prepare oneself.

Did you find this information helpful? Check out more of such useful information and advice from akiTalent for other countries in the EU: France and Germany.