Job Opportunities after Graduation

During your time of study, you might hear that you need to move to the south of the country if you want to find a job, but you don’t speak fluent Dutch. But don’t rush to move just yet! Because there are also plenty of job opportunities for English speakers in the Northern Netherlands after graduation.

Make It in The North

The first step is to check out Make It in The North, a online platform specially established to help English-speaking job seekers find a job in the Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe area. They feature all kinds of jobs that are available for English speakers – internship, part-time, traineeship, full-time, you name it!

Their website also features heaps of helpful tips and tricks – specifically for internationals – to help you land a job in the North. They also offer free 1-on-1 CV Critique every other Friday, so be sure to check them out!

Employment / Recruitment Agencies

Working or finding a job via an employment agency (or recruitment agency) is very common in the Netherlands – more so than in other countries. These agencies work like a bridge between jobseekers and companies. Typically, companies team up with an employment agency by either posting job openings on the agency’s website or by hiring a recruiter from the agency to find the right person for the job. As a potential employee, you can also sign up with the employment agency to keep an eye on new job opportunities or to get in touch with a recruiter who can guide you.

There are differences between employment agencies and recruitment agencies:

– Employment agencies (uitzendbureau) typically take care of an employee’s recruitment process (and oftentimes also payrolling). They generally specialize in temporary employment opportunities and often match jobseekers with multiple job opportunities

– Recruitment agencies (werving-en-selectiebureau) primarily focus on recommending suitable candidates and leave the final hiring decision to the employer. They usually target highly educated individuals who are at a more advanced stage in their careers and seek long-term job positions.

Here are some national agencies either specializing in jobs for non-Dutch speakers, or sites with vacancies for various language backgrounds:

• Undutchables
• Randstad
• YoungCapital
• Recruit A Student
• MF / MF Horeca

Some Other Places You Can Check Out

If you already speak some Dutch, you can also check out Noorderlink, Nationale Vacaturebank, or Monsterboard.