If you are looking for a job abroad, the Netherlands may be one of the top countries in your desired list of countries to work. The Netherlands is a country where not only you but many people like to work.
This is due to the economic stability of the country, the work-life balance, higher salaries and wages, etc. However, getting a job in the Netherlands is not easy due to the higher competition in the job market.
If you want to get a job opportunity in the Netherlands, there are several things you can do.
- Applying directly to vacancies in Dutch companies.
- Getting a job through a staffing agency.
Both of these methods can be used to get job opportunities in the Netherlands, but if you want to land a job and succeed in your job hunt, it is essential that you have a resume tailored to suit that country.
In this article we hope to discuss how to write a concise and clear resume for the dutch market.
Let’s dive in.
Essential sections of a resume for the Netherlands jobs
There are five main sections you should include in a good resume. Let’s see what are they and how to write them properly.
- Contact information section
- Summary
- Work experience
- Education
- Skills
01. Contact information
Include your first and last name, as well as your phone number, email address, LinkedIn profile, and/or website or portfolio.
A large amount of data is now protected as a result of GDPR. Therefore, information such as your gender, date of birth, or nationality are not required to include on your resume when applying for a job in the Netherlands.
Many people also include their BSN number, which is the Dutch social security number. We advise you not to include that in your resume.
The best way to organize your contact information is to place it next to your resume photograph.
When applying for a job in the Netherlands, we recommend that you include a photo in your resume. However, make certain that your photograph is professional.
See this guide to learn how to add a photo to your resume.
02. Summary
The summary is a vital section of your resume. This should include a thorough overview of your career and relevant experience.
It’s like a brief introduction of who you are as a professional, what you’re looking for, what you have to offer, and why you’d be a great fit for the specific position.
You may be sending your resume to several different companies, and you may not feel like creating a resume for each and every job. But keep in mind that you should tailor your resume for each job.
You should include the general words to your summary that match the requirements and responsibilities of the role. You can pick the resume keywords from the job advertisement.
So that you can outsmart the applicant tracking systems and get into the shortlist.
There are several words that recruiters encounter frequently in resume summaries such as motivated, enthusiastic, creative, etc. But these words does not make you stand out and unique. So better to stay away from these resume buzzwords when creating your resume.
03. Work experience
This is the most important section of any resume. This section should be organized in reverse chronological order, with your most recent experience at the top.
The best way to ensure that you have all of the information for your experience is to include the name of the company which you work, the job title you hold, the dates you worked there, and then 3-5 sentences explaining your accomplishments.
You can add resume action verbs at the beginning of each bullet point to make your accomplishments more valuable.
04. Education
Here also you should include your most recent educational qualification at the top. Similarly to how we list work experience, we should include the name of the school you attended, the name of the degree you received, and the years you worked there.
Aside from these details, you could include your thesis or any extracurricular activities you participated in during your academic career.
05. Skills
Your soft and hard skills would be an excellent addition to your Netherlands resume. Soft skills are usually aspects of your personality that you are naturally good at and that make you who you are. Here are some soft skill examples to include in your resume.
- Communication
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
- Multitasking
- Analytical thinking
Hard skills are those that you have gained through previous or current experience. People must undergo training and dedicate more time to developing these skills. Below are some examples of hard skills.
- Programming languages: Java, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, HTML
- MS Office
- SEO
- Bookkeeping
- Copywriting
So include both of these skills in your resume, especially if they are required for the position you’ve applied for.
In what language should you write the resume?
First, visit the company website to find out which language is used on the homepage. The majority of the time, English is used.
If the company has an English-speaking office, you may write your resume in English, and you will almost certainly conduct the interview in English as well.
But if you have applied for Dutch-speaking office, it’s better to write your resume in Dutch. It’s worth asking a native Dutch speaker to check whether there are any errors or not in your resume, so that your application doesn’t get rejected.
The Netherlands resume tips
- Use bullet points and short, simple sentences in your Dutch resume.
- Avoid embellishing or exaggerating your Dutch resume because honesty and directness are highly valued in the Netherlands.
- Always use clear resume fonts and a simple design to create your resume.
- Your resume for the Netherlands should not be longer than two pages.
- If you lack relevant experience, focus on academic projects, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or other part-time or seasonal jobs where you can demonstrate relevant skills.