Hello,

Is it as difficult as the AMerican Embassy website states for AMericans to obtain positions/work in the NEtherlands? They state that its "extremely unlikely" for Americans to be working in the Netherlands. Is it easier if you are working for an American company? How do I find out which companies are looking for workers?

I'd appreciate any help you can give me.

Ik spreek wel Nederlands (voldoende Nederlands). Zal het makkelijker zijn om als buitenlander in Nederland te werken?

Kevin De Yager
<a href="mailto:dutchkid2@sio.midco.net" Target="_BLANK">dutchkid2@sio.midco.net</a>

Hartelijk bedankt!

From my experience, the language isn't the issue but rather getting a work/residence permit if you aren't from the EU.

If you aren't being transfered here by a company, or in a relationship with a cheesehead, then generally your chances are pretty bad.

I had to work with the police trying to get the paperwork for one of our staff from the US and even though he had a very unique job function and a good university degree, I really had to beg to get his paperwork through.

Good luck!
Troy

Do you have any relatives in the Netherlands? How did you learn Dutch?

First question is,

Why are you so desperate to go to live in The Netherlands ??

I have been here for just over 2 years now and I have to say that the people here really suck, big time !!
The dutch are so damn, Padantic, Sarcastic for everything, and to have to deal with this on a daily basis becomes extremely stressfull, and if your a foreigner (it doesnt matter if you come from a great country) you will treated as if you are at the bottom.
I consider the Dutch to be possibly the Un-friendliest of people in europe !!
And talk about a nation of people who really do believe that they have the right to rip off others in anyway possible and think there more above everyone else.

Amsterdam is a classic example of a city that has become a victim of of Its own success.
Its become a cold, heartless place with much agresion on the streets.

Did you here of the story, when a woman beggar outside a main supermarket, who had stolen a can of dog food, was beaten to death by mostly Moslem youths who were employees of this shop for apparently saying something against islam !!

The Netherlands has an extremely high (rip-off) income tax rates.
This country is a bureaocratic nightmare, and its all for nothing.
Do you get the picture now ?
My advice, think twice about comming here. There are plenty more other countries in the EU.

Before comming here I lived in Italy for 4 years and I'm considering moving back there.
My suggestion is give, Milan or Rome a try, for a start in Italy there crying out for skilled persons from USA, Canada, Australia etc etc. Getting a work permit there is very easy.
I know that for a fact.

The people are SO much nicer in everyway, no comparison with the Dutch.
Italian language is much easier than Dutch, the people in Italy actually allow foreigners into the local language, and it has a good impression.
Unlike the Dutch, when if you try to speak Dutch with them, they become a bit
"funny", they think your taking the piss out of them. Very bad.

Why dont you try Britain for example ?
They speak English there !!!


Hope the info helps.

Actually redskull is right. The fact that you speak Dutch helps, but they do not go out and welcome even ex-dutchies. Once you are out your are not in their category of stay-at-homes. Numerous celebrities leave and come back and find the same thing.

Housing is very very expensive and scarce. The only people who will welcome you will be the ones looking to get something out of you, sorry, but I hate to admit it is true. Not much better in Belgium either. You are about 10 years too late, the Benelux has had its day and is now in another 10 year decline, maybe in another 5 years it will get better.

Lots of people are moving to Spain, Portugal and Italy. Italy has high unemployment in the rural areas but the cities are booming. Life is relatively cheap, food is great, culture is wonderful and very friendly. I just returned from Tuscany, language is easy to follow and pick up and people are willing and relaxed.

Hello, I am an American moving to The Netherlands in September to study in a Masters program. I have been debating on whether to go with the Part-time program for two-years or the full-time program for 1 year. With what I have read it sounds as if I should get in, do my studies and get the heck out. I am really freaked out now. I am going to hate the next year of my life? Is there any work that can be found that is paid "under-the-table"? Do you have any advice on how to make my time there great considering what I have read on how they treat foreigners?

Any information will be great.

Michael

You guys should try the European Commission or Amnesty International, European Court of Justice in the Hague, or the European Investment Bank.

Apply for the concours - the open competition where you apply for posts with the EC and other institutions.
<a href="http://europa.eu.int/epso/competitions/news_en.cfm" Target="_BLANK">http://europa.eu.int/epso/competitions/news_en.cfm</a>

<a href="http://www.eib.org/jobs/index.asp" Target="_BLANK">http://www.eib.org/jobs/index.asp</a>
<a href="http://www.euro-staff.gov.uk/Vacancies/current.htm" Target="_BLANK">http://www.euro-staff.gov.uk/Vacancies/current.htm</a>
<a href="http://europa.eu.int/eures/home.jsp?lang=en" Target="_BLANK">http://europa.eu.int/eures/home.jsp?lang=en</a>

odd bits of information about jobs in the EU institutions...
<a href="http://europa.eu.int/geninfo/info/guide/index_en.htm" Target="_BLANK">http://europa.eu.int/geninfo/info/guide/index_en.htm</a> [look at the recruitment section <a href="http://europa.eu.int/geninfo/info/guide/index_en.htm#recruit" Target="_BLANK">http://europa.eu.int/geninfo/info/guide/in...#recruit</a>]

good luck
<a href="mailto:Sveatwork2001@yahoo.com" Target="_BLANK">Sveatwork2001@yahoo.com</a>

Quote:

You guys should try the European Commission or Amnesty International, European Court of Justice in the Hague, or the European Investment Bank.

Apply for the concours - the open competition where you apply for posts with the EC and other institutions.
<a href="http://europa.eu.int/epso/competitions/news_en.cfm" Target="_BLANK">http://europa.eu.int/epso/competitions/news_en.cfm</a>


************************************

You can only apply for a job at one of the EU institutions if you are a national of one the EU member states. The USA is'nt one of them:-)

It's important to remember that one person's experience is ONE person's experience. Yours could be totally different. There are definitely pros and cons to living in ANY country, I really had a completely different experience when I lived in Amsterdam--just left in mid-September, 2004.

I found the people outstandingly friendly and welcoming. They are not easily excitable or particularly outgoing. You have to make an effort to get to know them, they aren't going to come up and offer to help you find your way if you look obviously lost. But they really WANT to communicate--even with an American who spoke not a word of Dutch for the first few months I was there.

Within my first week there, I had a great conversation with a 40-year-old man who had spent his entire life in Amsterdam. We talked about how the French do NOT want to communicate, just want to mock you if you don't speak perfect French. Whereas the Dutch really do want to communicate with foreigners. And it's true!

Amsterdam is a spectacularly beautiful city. Cold, wet, but very clean and lovely. It has benefits and disadvantages as does every city.

Sure, tax is high. But the health care system is incredible--only the wealthiest 40% pay for healthcare and even then it's a bargain compared to the states.

The Dutch are beautiful, hardy people. I'm a progressive politically, and found that I agreed with nearly all the Dutch people I encountered politically. Certainly, my politics were much more similar to the majority of the Dutch than to the majority of Americans. I felt right at home there.

I found their accepting attitudes toward gay people and soft drugs particularly refreshing. It's good to know the Dutch government isn't throwing billions of dollars away on a completely ineffective and corrupt "drug war" as the States is.

I love Holland. I miss it already!

Quote:

I have been living in holland now for 11 months and admit its a huge mistake except for my dutch husband i am made to feel like a total alien and how i havent commited murder to one of the ignorant people is beyond me. They sure do hate the brits for some strange reason.....im on the verge of giving up looking for work and heading back to wales where people at least smile and work for a living.

Anybody want to chat then feel free to email me <a href="mailto:juliedijkhuis@hotmail.com" Target="_BLANK">juliedijkhuis@hotmail.com</a>

what a cloggy place this is!

First question is,

Why are you so desperate to go to live in The Netherlands ??

I have been here for just over 2 years now and I have to say that the people here really suck, big time !!
The dutch are so damn, Padantic, Sarcastic for everything, and to have to deal with this on a daily basis becomes extremely stressfull, and if your a foreigner (it doesnt matter if you come from a great country) you will treated as if you are at the bottom.
I consider the Dutch to be possibly the Un-friendliest of people in europe !!
And talk about a nation of people who really do believe that they have the right to rip off others in anyway possible and think there more above everyone else.

Amsterdam is a classic example of a city that has become a victim of of Its own success.
Its become a cold, heartless place with much agresion on the streets.

Did you here of the story, when a woman beggar outside a main supermarket, who had stolen a can of dog food, was beaten to death by mostly Moslem youths who were employees of this shop for apparently saying something against islam !!

The Netherlands has an extremely high (rip-off) income tax rates.
This country is a bureaocratic nightmare, and its all for nothing.
Do you get the picture now ?
My advice, think twice about comming here. There are plenty more other countries in the EU.

Before comming here I lived in Italy for 4 years and I'm considering moving back there.
My suggestion is give, Milan or Rome a try, for a start in Italy there crying out for skilled persons from USA, Canada, Australia etc etc. Getting a work permit there is very easy.
I know that for a fact.

The people are SO much nicer in everyway, no comparison with the Dutch.
Italian language is much easier than Dutch, the people in Italy actually allow foreigners into the local language, and it has a good impression.
Unlike the Dutch, when if you try to speak Dutch with them, they become a bit
"funny", they think your taking the piss out of them. Very bad.

Why dont you try Britain for example ?
They speak English there !!!


Hope the info helps.




************************************

I have recently moved to the Netherlands after living in Belgium for over a year. I was transfered for my work and I have enjoyed living in the NL thus far- especially compared to Belgium. But I must add that I have felt unwelcomed from time to time. Just last week I was nearly chased off the road by a crazed Dutch woman and given the finger or thumb? twice just last week while driving. Either it is my Belgian plates or my driving (which I doubt because I used to live in Michigan) but I have never encountered such road rage in my life!

I must also note that I am attempting to learn the language via a private tutor. Every attempt that I have made to communicate to a Dutchie in their language, they say "oh, your English" and then switch to English. My question is- how is it that I will ever learn this damn language if everyone continues to speak English to me! It is really frustrating.

Overall, the Dutch have been very welcoming and on the whole are quite accomodating. I come from a Dutch-American community in the States, so from time to time I feel at home.

I hope that those of you who are struggling here try to find the positive because it could be a long road ahead.

i actually did not have a similar experience with the dutch like others...

i just got back yesterday from a tour of europe and have decided to do a study abroad program in the netherlands. for me, i felt welcomed from the moment i stepped off of the plane. there were many instances during my 2 separate stays where if i just even looked confused, someone would approach me and ask me if i'm okay and needed help. i have never asked for help, not once! the people are far from being cold. but, coming from new york city, i understand what it is to be in an environment where people really don't have time to sit and chat and are always on the go. STILL, i found that all people are welcomed in the netherlands. my goodness... if opportunity was as scarce as ppl make it seem, why are there so many immigrants in the netherlands. even amsterdam, the city is quite multicultural. i have been there for a total of 2weeks and i already have a job lined up and when i return in august, a cheap but really nice domicile set up for me. not to mention, a few ppl willing to go to bat for me, if needed. the dutch have got to be the most organized and nicest ppl in the EU. unlike spain and italy, rules are respected. and to respond to someone's earlier comment that they receive foreigners with a better attitude than the dutch, i cannot disagree more. the italians are notorious for fixing their prices for tourists, which by the way is sometimes more 3x what the locals pay. they are not the nicest ppl and don't ask anything b/c they don't know nor want to communicate with you. the italians know italian. the spanish know spanish. that's it. the same goes for france. but, i find it to be a great comfort to know i can go to the netherlands, study in english and speak to locals in english. it makes me want to learn the language even more. and i do speak french and have french background. the dutch are known for their distaste of the french, and knowing my background, they still treated me like family.

maybe that's why the government is strict when it comes to permits... so, many ppl go to the netherlands and abuse the policies. don't forget, it's the only open economy in europe and the most liberal country in the EU. they get flack from the major countries in the EU and have to worry about problems they are experiencing with immigration. which is the reason why they are tightening their belt, even with americans. but, at least, you know what to expect. there will be no surprises, unlike in southern europe.