New members of the Netherlands forum, introduce yourself here — 4th quarter of 2016

we feel you may be a good fit for business ownership.

Halo,

I'm Salina, living here with my partner since two month ago.  life is good, I like the country and the people but still adjusting to the weather.  i consider myself as non dutch speaker and struggle with it.  will start the language class this week.  because of not a dutch speaker, i have difficulties to get a job although logistic industy has a lot to offer here. 

thanks

Hi everyone I am Kaye, 27  years old currently a permanent resident in Vancouver Canada, I am originally from Philippines. I am a registered nurse in Philippines. I worked as an ER and ICU nurse in Saudi Arabia, and now currently in procedure of continuing my career here in Vancouver but I have to go on a certain procedure. I want to know how to become a nurse in Netherlands. thank you and nice to meet ya'll.

Hi guys,

I am new here and wanted to introduce myself. I am 27 years old and I currently live in South Africa. I have wanted to move overseas for a very long time, and I am now finally in a position to make jump completely.

I currently work as a Graphic Designer, Web-Designer, Photographer, and Animator in South Africa, and am hopefully looking to do the same in the Netherlands, but am willing to look at other kinds of work to get into the country.

I have already posted in the forums looking for help on the entire process, hopefully you guys can have a look at that and give me some advice.

Awesome to be here, thank you

Nice to meet everyone

And who are you, Markoolio?
What brings you here on this forum?

Hi Sunshine, welcome aboard.

Hello Reina
I am Helen, originally from Singapore, moved to Australia and lived there for almost 20 years.
Then I moved again to the UK and lived there for about 3 years.
Now, I am in the Netherlands till end November,rented a place in Apeldoorn.
I have just been to Japan in August, very hot but love it.
(Been there many times in the past and like Japanese culture a lot)

I read that you like to take photos and do craft work, me too. As I am here for relax travelling I am happy to make new friends.
Let me know if you are keen to meet up for a chat.
cheers

Hello all!

My name is Vânia, from Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, 56 years old, and I am a solar trainer (because solar energy is the best). I will move to live with my future husband in Enkhuizen as soon as I get yes from IND!

Hope to make some friends here!

All the best,

Hi Vânia - welcome to the Forum; I wish you the best of luck with your future life in Holland.

I've never been to Enkhuizen (in fact, there are many places I've never been to).  In the mean time, if you have any general/specific questions about life in Nederland, please don't hesitate to ask on here.

Thank you very much for your attention!!!
You should visit Enkhuizen and the Zuiderzee Museum. It's a historical open air museum.
Tot ziens!!

Hi, I'm Hannah

I'm planning to move to Utrecht in the new year but having difficulties finding work.
I'd preferably like to stay in retail as I've been progressing in my job here in the fashion industry, but will be looking at other options in the mean time.
As I don't speak Dutch and I'm not over there yet I'm having the same responses from all the vacancies I've applied for.
I want to start a Dutch course before moving, but finding one and having it work around my jobs is proving difficult. (May have to order rosetta stone or something).
Any advise on where to look or what companies to apply for?

Thanks,
Hannah.

Hi all,

My name is Zenolia i'm 22 years old and living in South Africa. I'm planning on moving to The Netherlands in 2017 to be with my Dutch partner. We are going through the process with the IND and at the moment. So fingers crossed everything goes well

HanLints wrote:

Hi, I'm Hannah

I'm planning to move to Utrecht in the new year but having difficulties finding work.
I'd preferably like to stay in retail as I've been progressing in my job here in the fashion industry, but will be looking at other options in the mean time.
As I don't speak Dutch and I'm not over there yet I'm having the same responses from all the vacancies I've applied for.
I want to start a Dutch course before moving, but finding one and having it work around my jobs is proving difficult. (May have to order rosetta stone or something).
Any advise on where to look or what companies to apply for?

Thanks,
Hannah.

Hi Hannah,

Welcome to the Forum; Utrecht is in the middle of Holland, so handy to get to most places, I'm sure you'll love it.

I'll be honest with you and as you've found out from the responses you've already had from the jobs you've applied for; unless you know someone who will take you on, if you can't speak Dutch, the chances of you finding any work in retail are pretty slim (you'll be selling to Dutch people and they will expect you to speak it).  The next most important thing is relative experience, this can be offset if you have some unique aspect to your skill-set that very few people have; so you have experience, but can't communicate with your customers.  All that said, I know of some people who didn't speak a word of Dutch, who have worked in tourist area bars where English was a big plus, the downside of this is the pay is not much and it's seasonal work.  This link will take you to a web-site that is advertising for sales people - perhaps you'll strike it lucky.

I'm assuming you have somewhere to go and live in Utrecht and that they are prepared to support you, so you need to consider other options with regards to work; what other skills do you have.  If you don't have any, then perhaps consider how you can get something before you go (it will be easier to do them in English) and maybe put off moving for a while - it's important.

One warning about Dutch courses, I found that unless you have a gift for it and are dedicated (I didn't and wasn't), I found that the best way to learn was to speak it face to face; yes, you'll make mistakes and embarrass yourself, but it's the quickest and cheapest way to get fluent quickly; by all means, do a course when you get there to understand the Dutch grammar and syntax.  I learnt Dutch in the west and unknowingly spoke it with a thick Twentse accent - like the Dutch equivalent of a West Country farmers accent; my wife, her family and friends understood me (sort of), but people in the east struggled to understand me.

Probably not the best answer, but I feel it's best to be up-front whenever asked this type of question.

I wish you the best of luck; hope this has helped.

Any information about moving is good, thank you.
My partner has a contract out in Utrecht, but to be able to support both of us would be difficult.
I was thinking of applying for bar work while I concentrate on learning Dutch. (Think that's going to be the best option). Then there will be more opportunities available to me.

Thank you again for your reply

My name is Charlene

I currently live in south africa wishing to move to Netherlands soon my boyfriend lives there and really want me to go live with him.

I dont know if anyone can tell me will it be easy for me to go live there aswell as he is from there and what will be the best way.

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lina, 27-year-old, currently live in Thailand.
Planning to move to the house that I bought with my fiance in Arnhem.
I reckon that is not easy to find the job at the first stage if I don't speak Dutch.
Hope for the best to get a chance to integrate into Dutch society quickly.

If any of you have suggestion for newbie, please do.

Cheers!

Lina

Hi Charlene and Lina,

Welcome to the forum.

At the top of this page are links that you can click on, select "Handy Tools", you'll then get a drop down menu, select "Expat Guide"; there are lots of links; select the "Formalities" section.  Within that that will answer many of your questions concerning coming to Holland as an Immigrant.

If you have any specific questions after reading that, please come back and ask.

Best of luck.

Hi everyone, My name is Haini. I'm living in Zoetermeer-Zuid Holland, almost two years. I came here on July 2014 and i got job on October 2014.  I tried to search a job by finding on Internet, but its very difficult for me, because i cant speak dutch at that moment. And finally my mother in law said to me that why not, try come to every shops and asking for a job. Within in 3 months since living in Holland finally i got the job with good contract. For all of you dont stop trying, come to every shops and just ask them i think is the best way to do.

Good luck everyone :-)

Haini

Thank you so much Cynic for being very helpful

Hi everyone,
Thank you for your kind warm welcoming.
I am Kelly, 29 years old, is a mommy of one 9 month boy. I come from Vietnam and I came to Holland to live together with my Dutch husband since last year February, so almost 2 years staying here already. I live in Cuijk (nearby Nijmegen) and looking now for a part time job in an international group. I used to work as purchasing assistant and export-import executive when I was living in Hochiminh. Beside my mother language Vietnamese, I could speak English, Chinese, a little but Japanese and Dutch (level B1).
My pleasure to be in this forum and I hope to know and make friends with more people around the world. Let's talk and share your life experience together to help us stronger and beter!
Warm regards,
Kelly

Kellytran2016 wrote:

Hi everyone,
Thank you for your kind warm welcoming.
I am Kelly, ..... looking now for a part time job in an international group. I used to work as purchasing assistant and export-import executive when I was living in Hochiminh. Beside my mother language Vietnamese, I could speak English, Chinese, a little but Japanese and Dutch (level B1)......

Hi Kelly, welcome to the Forum.

Your first stop should be the jobs section of this Forum (link at the top of the page).

Another alternative is to use Google to find the uitzendbureau's in your area; this link will take you to one I've just tried and there are a few links you can follow.

Best of luck.

Dear Cynic,
Thanks alot for prompt and valued advices!
Have a nice day.
Kelly

Hi kayeanne,

You might want to find vacancies online on cities with major hospitals but the tricky part is that you need the Dutch language to be able to work on the health sector. That was also my major roadblock upon living here. Patient contact requires fluent Dutch knowledge as you know how the type of work in a hospital goes.

It's still not impossible to find English speaking healthcare vacancies online but you might have to search hard and wide. You can try looking for an employer first then maybe you can get an expat package. Hope it all works out for you!

Succes!


Groetjes,
Gracie

Oh my, congrats!
I'll take your tip once I come back from my holiday next year.
Good luck with your new job! 😉


Groetjes,
Gracie

Hi all,

I'm MC, originally from Malta, moved to The Netherlands in April 2009. Been here almost 8 years...still getting used to the weather. I got a job in a hospital when I moved here and I still work there. For those of you who are considering moving to The Netherlands...I recommend...it's quite tough in the beginning...and yes...you have to learn dutch...don't lose heart...it is possible   
Best regards
MC

Hi
My name is Kate am 32 and a mother of 1 from Kenya. My Husband is from Holland, we currently live in kenyan for the past 6 years and want to relocate to Holland.

I would like to know more about relocating to Holland as a Kenyan will I be allowed to live in the Netherlands with my family?

I will appreciate your input or experience of relocating to the Netherlands

Hi Kate,

Welcome to the Forum; at the top of the page is a series of links, if you select the "Handy Tools" one, it will open a further series of links to subjects that should be of interest to you.  Please read them, then if you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Further, you might want to read through the earlier posts on the forum where people in similar situations to yourself describe their own experiences.

Hope this helps.

Best of luck.

My name is Hadi Qawasmeh

I am originally from Jordan, and started working in the Netherlands last February 2016.

I worked before in many countries in Asia, Europe and Africa with different United Nations agencies and international NGOs working with Palestine and Syria refugees.

I have a master degree in Management Information Systems with extensive experience in development and databases

Wishing you all a good stay in Expat.com

Hadi_70 wrote:

My name is Hadi Qawasmeh

I am originally from Jordan, and started working in the Netherlands last February 2016.

I worked before in many countries in Asia, Europe and Africa with different United Nations agencies and international NGOs working with Palestine and Syria refugees.

I have a master degree in Management Information Systems with extensive experience in development and databases

Wishing you all a good stay in Expat.com

Hi Hadi - welcome to the Forum.

To Cynic

Thank you

Have a good day

Hello everyone.
My name is Renata, I'm 28 years old and I currently live in Culemborg.
As I' m pretty new to Netherlands ( about a month), would love to make some friends and also to find some volunteering positions in which dutch language is not a must ( until I learn  it a bit more ).
Wish to you all, lovely winter holidays! 

Hello Everybody!

My name is Ola, I'm 25 Polish sociable, friendly girl and professional musician - the violinist and violin teacher.I graduated Chopin Warsaw University of Music in Poland last year. I'm moving to Rotterdam in January to continue studing as a conctract student of Codarts, University of the Arts.
I'm looking for a part-time jobs which will support me to live in Rotterdam at least until the end of June. Unfortunatelly my Dutch is very basic so in this moment, if it's possible, I would love to try to find a volutary possition without required Dutch language.

Thanks in advance and I wish you beautiful Merry Christmas!

ola_violin wrote:

Hello Everybody!

My name is Ola, I'm 25 Polish sociable, friendly girl and professional musician - the violinist and violin teacher.I graduated Chopin Warsaw University of Music in Poland last year. I'm moving to Rotterdam in January to continue studing as a conctract student of Codarts, University of the Arts.
I'm looking for a part-time jobs which will support me to live in Rotterdam at least until the end of June. Unfortunatelly my Dutch is very basic so in this moment, if it's possible, I would love to try to find a volutary possition without required Dutch language.

Thanks in advance and I wish you beautiful Merry Christmas!

Hi Ola,

Welcome to the Forum and a merry Christmas to you.

Check out the job link at the top of this Forum to see if there is anything that attracts you; at the same time you can put your CV in there for potential employers to read.

Have a great time in Holland.

I am medcine professional MD .and wants to move netherland for specializaton .

Dear Ola

Welcome to Rotterdam, one of the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands.

Hadi

Thank you Cynic for your reply

Thank you very much, Hadi

Said bashir wrote:

I am medcine professional MD .and wants to move netherland for specializaton .

Hi Said,

Welcome to the Forum; at the top of this page are links to Handy Tools (where you can get information on moving to and living in Holland).

With regards to working, assuming you want to work with the Public, then the first thing you will need to do is learn Dutch.  Then, ordinarily, I'd refer you to our job section (top of page) where you can look for available jobs and also post your own CV for potential employers to look at.  However, you say you're an MD, so you'll first need to get your qualifications recognised; in Holland, they have a thing called "The BIG Register"; I'd recommend you follow this link, in there it helps you to submit an application for your diploma to be recognised to work in Holland.

If you have any further questions, please come back to the Forum.

Merry Christmas.